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Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IAS officer among 9 named in DMF scam EOW chargesheet in Chhattisgarh
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a 6,000-page chargesheet against nine accused — including senior bureaucrats and businessmen — in the special anti-corruption court in Raipur in the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scam. EOW chief Amresh Mishra named the accused in the chargesheet filed on May 27 — Saumya Chaurasia, former OSD to then CM Bhupesh Baghel , former Korba collector and suspended IAS officer Ranu Sahu, former assistant commissioner-tribal development Maya Warrior, former deputy collector & DMF nodal officer Bharosa Ram Thakur, and former janpad panchayat CEOs Bhuneswar Singh Raj, Virendra Rathore and Radheshyam Mirjha, businessman Suryakant Tiwari and vendor Manoj Dwivedi. All nine are charged under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable documents), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 471 (using a forged document as genuine), along with provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act. All of them are in judicial custody. According to the EOW chargesheet, during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscals, funds allocated under DMF Trust in Korba were misappropriated through a criminal conspiracy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The accused allegedly ensured that tenders were awarded to preferred vendors/proprietors, who were directly or indirectly associated with them. As part of a well-orchestrated scheme, these vendors were allegedly granted lucrative contracts, and in return, around 40% commission — approximately Rs 75 crore — was siphoned off, inflicting a significant financial loss to the government. The court filing includes extensive documentation and evidence. According to the investigation, some private companies paid 15%-20% commission to secure DMF contracts. The scam was allegedly orchestrated through rigged tenders, dummy firms, and illegal financial arrangements. Officials said fake companies were set up to secure tenders and bribes were falsely recorded as accommodation expenses. Large amounts of cash and forged documents were recovered during raids, along with digital devices and stamps of dummy firms. ED seized Rs 76.5 lakh in cash and froze eight bank accounts containing Rs 35 lakh, were also confiscated, says the chargesheet. The investigation continues and more names could surface, officers said. DMF was set up to benefit mining-affected communities, but has now become the centre of a high-profile corruption scandal, raising serious questions about oversight and accountability within the system. EOW's investigation, backed by an Enforcement Directorate (ED) report, has revealed serious financial irregularities in fund allocation and tendering processes in Korba district. On March 3, Supreme Court granted interim bail to 12 accused in a coal scam case, including Sahu, Chaurasia, and Tiwari. However, before they could walk free, EOW obtained a production warrant and arrested them in the DMF case, ensuring their continued detention. ED has already attached assets worth nearly Rs 23.8 crore belonging to 10 people, including Ranu Sahu, Maya Warrior, and Manoj Dwivedi.
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Chhattisgarh EOW files charge-sheet against ex-CM deputy secretary, former collector in DMF scam
RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh State Bureau for Investigation of Economic Offences (EOW) on Tuesday filed a 6,000-page charge-sheet before the Special Court (Anti-Corruption), Raipur, against Saumya Chaurasia, former deputy secretary to ex-Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel; the then Korba collector, Ranu Sahu; and several others in connection with the multi-crore District Mineral Fund (DMF) scam. Besides Chaurasia and Sahu, businessman Suryakant Tiwari, Maya Varriar, Manoj Dwivedi, Bhuneswar Singh Raj, Barosa Ram Thakur and Virendra Rathore have also been named in the charge-sheet. They have been accused of direct involvement in corruption and financial embezzlement by manipulating the tender process to benefit favoured proprietors and suppliers. They allegedly collected illegal commissions amounting to around Rs 75 crore in the DMF scam in Korba district. According to investigators, these substantial bribes were paid in exchange for securing DMF tenders. The state EOW stated that an FIR had been registered against all the accused under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in addition to Sections 120-B, 420, 467, 468 and 491 of the Indian Penal Code. The accused named in the charge-sheet are currently lodged in Raipur Central Jail under judicial remand. Chaurasia, during her tenure as a deputy secretary in the then Chief Minister's Office, allegedly misused her official position and exercised undue administrative influence to facilitate the receipt of illegal commissions in return for awarding DMF tenders in Korba. In May this year, the Chhattisgarh High Court rejected the bail plea of the accused in the DMF scam.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chhattisgarh HC rejects bail pleas in multi-crore DMF scam; former collector, ex-CM deputy secretary among accused
RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail applications of the accused in the District Mineral Fund (DMF) scam, including former Korba District Collector Ranu Sahu , former Deputy Secretary to the then Chief Minister Saumya Chaurasia , NGO operator Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, and middleman Suryakant Tiwari. The Single Bench of Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas, after examining the FIR and case diary materials, prima facie indicated the commission of offences under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act . The court observed the apparent economic offences under the PC Act. Considering the records, the bench stated that the applicants' involvement in the alleged offences was prima facie evident, deeming it not a suitable case for granting regular bail. Consequently, all bail applications were dismissed. The prosecution's case rests on an ECIR dated 11 January 2024, concerning alleged corruption in the utilisation of DMF funds in Korba district. Investigations, including statements recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA, 2002, revealed that suppliers purportedly paid substantial commissions to the applicant for securing DMF tenders. The former Collector of Korba, along with other co-accused, allegedly siphoned off funds, with a purported 40% of the total tender amount paid as commission to officials. Vendor Sanjay Shende reportedly admitted to securing tenders worth approximately Rs 120-130 crore and paying around Rs 20 crore as commission to the applicant through her brother Piyush Sahu. Ashok Kumar Agrawal stated that a 20% commission was paid to Ranu Sahu for tender allocations. Mukesh Kumar Agrawal also stated giving 15-20% of the tender amount, about Rs 5-6 crore, as commission to the former collector in exchange for tenders. Hrishabh Soni admitted to paying Rs 7 crore as bribe to the applicant as commission. Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, claiming to run an NGO, also spoke of commission payments to the applicant. The investigation revealed that the applicant allegedly collected illegal commissions exceeding Rs 55 crore solely from DMF-related tenders in Korba district. The prosecution argued that such large-scale accumulation of illicit funds could not have occurred without the active support, administrative backing, and undue political influence of the applicant, in collusion with Saumya Chaurasia, who held a significant position as Deputy Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office at the time. Her position allegedly enabled her to direct and facilitate tender processes, protect key conspirators, and ensure the smooth flow and concealment of illegal commissions. Consequently, an FIR was registered against the applicant for offences under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), read with Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC. The applicant's earlier bail plea was dismissed by the Special Judge (PMLA)/First Additional Sessions Judge, Raipur, leading to the present appeal. The applicant, while serving as Deputy Secretary in the then Chief Minister's office, allegedly misused her official position and administrative influence to facilitate and receive illegal commissions related to DMF tenders in Korba district. She was described as a key beneficiary in a criminal conspiracy, allegedly directing subordinates and associates to demand a 40% commission from contractors involved in DMF-funded projects. The High Court noted the applicants' silence in the bail petition regarding the source of income for the properties mentioned in the final report, indicating that the ACB/EOW had collected certain material against them. The prosecution contended that the applicant actively participated in the syndicate, with the main accused Suryakant Tiwari allegedly acting under her instructions, and the extorted money was used to purchase properties. The court deemed the submission regarding prosecution sanction "misconceived" and stated it "deserves to be rejected," citing the established legal position that prosecution sanction can be obtained during the trial. The High Court cited the Supreme Court's observations in the case of P. Chidambaram Vs. Directorate of Enforcement, emphasizing the grave nature of economic offences committed with deliberate design for personal profit, disregarding the community's interests and posing a serious threat to the country's financial health.
