Vigilance to probe massive mining scam in Odisha's Sundargarh district
BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered a Vigilance probe into illegal mining operations worth Rs 39 crore in Sundargarh district's Hemagiri and Koida tehsils.
A
Special Investigation Team
(SIT) has been constituted to investigate the matter.
The action follows Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena's recent site inspection and subsequent report to the chief minister. "We will ensure all culprits face legal consequences, regardless of their position," Minister Jena told reporters.
Initial investigations reveal unauthorized extraction of 9,843 metric tonnes of coal, valued at ₹2 crore, from 22 mines in Hemagiri tehsil.
The illegal mining operations span across three villages: Gopalpur (14 mines), Ratnasora (3 mines), and Bhogarakachhar (5 mines). Officials have also discovered illegal coal storage facilities in Jamakhani reserved forest.
In Koida tehsil, authorities uncovered illegal extraction of manganese and iron ore from 50 mines across five villages. The operation involved removal of 20,000 metric tons of manganese ore and 1,200 metric tons of iron ore, estimated at Rs 37 crore.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting
Luxeartisanship
Buy Now
Undo
The Vigilance department has been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation into the scam.
The illegal mining activities primarily targeted forest lands, raising concerns about environmental damage alongside financial losses. The investigation continues.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Brother's Day wishes
,
messages
and quotes !
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Samagra Shiksha fraud accused had 13 bank accounts, 68 complaints nationwide
Representational Panaji: The probe into the alleged theft of Rs 4.6 crore from the Goa Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (GSSA) bank account uncovered that the accused have 13 bank accounts used in 68 cyber complaints involving cyber frauds of Rs 1.5 crore registered across the country. Two FIRs are already registered in Bihar and Bengal. The investigation revealed that the accused persons are part of an organised financial fraud racket, wherein current account holders are identified and their banking instruments (ATM cards and cheque books) are obtained for illegal financial transactions. The accused played a crucial role in coordinating and arranging these accounts for the co-accused, SP (crime branch) Rahul Gupta told TOI . The role of an insider from the Bank of India is also being investigated. These accused seem to be connected to someone with access to confidential bank data, he said. Goa police transferred the case from Porvorim police to the crime branch. Goa police arrested five persons in the case. Goa police arrested Purnashish Sana from Kolkata in the case. Alamin Mondal and Bidyadhar Mallick were arrested from Delhi. Rabin Paul was arrested from Kolkata, who was released on bail. Another person identified as Sumanta Mandal was arrested, and he is on transit remand, the SP said. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Sana introduced Paul to Alamin for providing his bank account number, and Alamin shared this entire detail/access of the bank account with Subhashish Sikdar, Gupta said. The SP said that Rs 1.8 crore was reflected in the bank statement of Paul. Sikdar illegally withdrew a sum of Rs 1.8 crore from Paul by presenting forged cheques to different banks, which were processed as genuine. The withdrawn amount belonged to the savings bank account of the Goa Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Society.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Investigation deepens in Rs 10 crore whale vomit case as police track supply chain
Assam Police seizes drugs worth Rs 11.5 crore in two separate operations Margao: A day after the arrest of three persons with nearly 6kg of ambergris, commonly known as whale vomit, worth over Rs 10 crore, Sanguem police continue their investigation into what they suspect to be a sophisticated interstate smuggling network. Sainath Shet from Ponda, Ratuakant Karapurkar from Zuarinagar, and Vegesh Redkar from Sawantwadi were remanded in four-day police custody after they were found in possession of the banned substance at Dabamol, Sanguem. 'The choice of Dabamal village as a trading point remains puzzling,' said a senior police official. 'It's a close-knit community where outsiders are easily noticed, yet the accused chose this location for their transaction.' The seizure of two vehicles provided crucial leads about the transportation routes to the police, though police officials remain tight-lipped over the progress of the investigation. South Goa SP Tikam Singh Verma told TOI that the police obtained some crucial leads in the matter and that they are actively working on them. Police said that more arrests in the case may follow. The case has taken on greater significance as police draw connections to the Feb 2024 seizure by the Konkan Railway police, where two Kerala residents were caught with nearly 6kg of whale vomit valued at Rs 5.6 crore at the Margao railway station. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Ambergris, a waxy substance produced in sperm whales' digestive systems, is highly valued in the perfume industry. However, its sale and possession are prohibited in India under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as it is considered a derivative from protected marine mammals. The substance's rarity and high value make it attractive to smugglers despite severe legal consequences. The three accused were charged under the Wildlife Protection Act's Section 39 (wild animals, to be govt property), Section 44 (prohibits dealing in trophies and animal articles without a licence), Section 49B (prohibits dealing in trophies, animal articles, derived from scheduled animals), and Section 51 (outlines penalties for offences committed under the Act). Police said that the accused intended to trade the ambergris for monetary gain without possessing any authorisation. Police are now also examining possible connections between the current case under investigation and the 2020 Sawantwadi case, where three Goans were arrested.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Tirupati laddu case: SIT to issue notices to temple body's ex-chairmen, officers
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) laddu ghee case is set to issue notices to former TTD chairmen and executive officers who served during the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) regime, sources said on to sources, SIT officials will likely serve the first round of notices on Monday to former TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy, along with Dharma Reddy, other past chairmen, executive officers, and former TTD EO Anil Kumar Singhal (Deo). The officials are expected to be summoned to cooperate with the development marks a significant update in the high-profile probe into the alleged supply of adulterated ghee for the sacred Tirupati laddu prasadam. This comes just two days after the SIT, led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), strongly opposed bail for the directors of three dairies accused of being at the heart of the its arguments before the court, the CBI described the case as a "betrayal of faith", calling it not just food fraud but a deeply entrenched, multi-crore conspiracy to defraud not only the TTD but crores of devotees across the country. PSP Suresh Kumar, standing counsel for the CBI, highlighted the sensitive nature of the crime, given its connection to a religious allege that Bholebaba Dairy, which did not have a formal contract with TTD, used AR Dairy as a front to secure the lucrative ghee supply agreement. While the documentation was in AR Dairy's name, the actual product was reportedly delivered by Bholebaba. Tests later revealed that the so-called ghee was not dairy-based at all, but a harmful concoction of palm oil and dairies- Bholebaba, Vaishnavi, and AR Dairy - are alleged to have jointly run the racket, conducting business worth hundreds of crores. In addition to financial fraud, the CBI has also accused the accused parties of attempting to tamper with the of the co-accused, Asish Rohilla, who had reportedly agreed to testify as a witness, was allegedly relocated under duress to Chennai and later to Delhi in an effort to silence him. The CBI argued that the accused have access to immense financial resources and could influence or threaten other witnesses if granted religious sentiment and public trust hanging in the balance, the agency has urged the court to handle the matter with the highest level of seriousness. The SIT is now focused on widening the scope of the probe to include all those who held positions of authority during the time of the alleged marks the first time that notices will be served to former TTD chairpersons in connection with the case, indicating that the investigation is now moving beyond suppliers and into the administrative chain that governed TTD during the YSRCP regime.
