Team News Riveting
Raipur, October 29
Coal businessman Suryakant Tiwari, who was wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, finally surrendered in a local court of law here Saturday afternoon.
He was absconding after the federal agency cracked down on October 11 and conducted searches at over a dozen locations in Chhattisgarh including the premises of three Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and businessmen engaged in coal trade. On October 13, ED arrested the 2009-batch IAS officer, Sameer Vishnoi, who had worked as Mining Director in Chhattisgarh besides businessman Sunil Agrawal of the Indramani group and Laxmikant Tiwari, uncle of “absconding” businessman Suryakant Tiwari.
The ED said it had seized cash, gold and bullion worth Rs 6.5 crore during the operation conducted in Chhattisgarh. The economic intelligence agency had alleged that Tiwari was levying “unofficial tax” for the coal transportation with the officials aiding him in the illegal trade.
Tiwari on Saturday afternoon surrendered before the Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court of Ajay Singh Rajput. Soon after getting information, ED officials rushed to the court and completed the formalities of his arrest. Later, the court remanded him to ED custody for 12 days for interrogation.
The development came two days after the ED remand of Vishnoi and the other two ended, and were sent to jail in judicial custody.
While talking to reporters in the court premises, Tiwari said he was fearing for his life though he did not reveal from whom he was facing the threat. He said he had full faith in the judicial system and skipped the query about his whereabouts during the period.
