The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Ranchi Zonal Office, has filed a charge-sheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against four individuals accused of laundering illicit proceeds linked to corruption in coal transportation.
The accused include Sanjeev Kumar Singh, Assistant Security Sub-Inspector at Central Coalfields Limited (CCL); his wife Poonam Devi; his younger brother Gopal Kumar; and coal transporter Rahul Kumar.
The case stems from a CBI investigation that charged them with criminal conspiracy, bribery, and misconduct under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
According to the ED, Singh abused his position as Area Security In-charge of CCL’s Barka Sayal Area to solicit illegal payments from private coal transporters. Investigators found that Rahul Kumar paid approximately Rs 5 lakh directly into Poonam Devi’s Axis Bank account in exchange for undue favours in coal transportation.
The probe revealed that Poonam Devi knowingly allowed her account to be used as a repository for illicit funds. Of the tainted money, Rs 4 lakh was transferred to Gopal Kumar, who quickly dissipated the amount through cash withdrawals, transfers to associates, and repayment of a vehicle loan, thereby integrating the proceeds into personal liabilities.
The ED has provisionally attached funds worth Rs 9.46 lakh under Section 5 of the PMLA, representing the value of the identified proceeds of crime. The attached assets include deposits in Sanjeev Kumar Singh’s SBI account (Rs 58,000 approx.) and Gopal Kumar’s SBI account (Rs 8.88 lakh approx). Officials emphasised that the case highlights how public officials exploit their positions for personal gain, using family members’ accounts to conceal illicit wealth. The matter is now pending trial before the Special Court, while further investigation continues to trace additional assets and financial transactions linked to the accused.
