The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reportedly recovered documents related to alleged benami movable and immovable properties during its ongoing searches at premises linked to associates of prominent coal traders L.B. Singh and Anil Goyal in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district. According to sources, the documents seized during the raids are being examined to ascertain the value of the assets. Preliminary estimates suggest that the alleged benami properties could be worth nearly Rs 100 crore.
In addition to the documents, the agency is also reported to have recovered around Rs 1 crore in cash during the search operations. Sources said ED officials have initiated the process of attaching the alleged benami assets identified during the searches. However, the agency has not yet issued an official statement detailing the recoveries or the nature of the assets.
The raids began early Tuesday morning, with ED teams simultaneously conducting searches at multiple locations linked to close associates, business partners, accountants and chartered accountants connected to the two coal businessmen.
The operation commenced around 6.30 am and continued through the day. While searches at some locations have concluded, action at several other premises was still underway at the time of filing this report.
Among those searched were premises linked to Anil Goyal's associates, including Ganesh Yadav, Imtiaz Ali, Rohit Yadav, Laxman Dubey alias Pappu Dubey, Pappu Mandal, Mahendra Prasad Singh and Mahuda Hard Coke.
The searches also covered locations associated with L.B. Singh's associates, including D.K. Singh, Ritesh Sharma, Ranjit Singh, D.N. Sinha & Company, Harendra Chauhan and Arun Chauhan.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, the latest action follows an earlier round of ED searches at the residences, offices and business establishments of the two coal traders. Based on documents recovered during those searches, both businessmen had reportedly been summoned for questioning by the agency.
Both businessmen have previously come under the scanner of multiple investigative agencies, including the Income Tax Department and GST authorities. In an earlier Income Tax investigation, officials had reportedly detected transactions amounting to around Rs 100 crore in accounts linked to L.B. Singh, a development that had attracted nationwide attention.
L.B. Singh is also associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During an earlier ED search at his residence, he had reportedly released a pet dog inside the premises when officials arrived to conduct the operation, an incident that had also drawn public attention.
The investigation is in progress, and the ED is expected to make further disclosures after completing the verification of the seized documents and recording statements of the individuals concerned.
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