Ranchi- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested seven individuals, including three employees of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), for their alleged involvement in illegal recovery and extortion during coal transportation in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district.
The Ranchi unit of the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) carried out the arrests after investigating complaints of systematic extortion in the Giddi area. Officials said the accused collected illegal commissions to clear coal-laden trucks, coercing traders to pay bribes in the road-sale process.
The CCL employees arrested are Anil Kumar, Security Officer/Manager (Mining) of Giddi C Colliery Project, Argada Area; Deepak Kumar, Clerk Grade-III; and Naresh Kumar, a security guard. They allegedly manipulated transactions to extract money.
Four others — Mohd Saddam, Israel Ansari, Mohd Tabarak, and Arun Lal — were detained for working as coal lifters and brokers, accused of collecting illegal payments to permit coal lifting.
A case under RC 9(A)/2025-R was registered, and multiple raids in the Giddi area yielded evidence confirming the organised extortion racket. Investigators believe the operation had been ongoing for a long time, siphoning funds from traders and transporters under the guise of commission.
“All the accused will be presented before the court. Further investigation is underway to trace other officials and middlemen involved,” a senior CBI officer said.
The action comes against the backdrop of mounting concerns over corruption in Jharkhand’s coal sector, where reports of illegal levies and irregular practices have been frequent.
With inputs from IANS