The Enforcement Directorate has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Classic Coal Construction Private Limited, Classic Multiplex Private Limited and their directors in connection with the bitumen scam in Jharkhand.
Among those arraigned are the companies’ directors, Dilip Kumar Singh and Kumar Pranav. The chargesheet has been filed before a Special Court in Ranchi. The agency has also requested for confiscation of assets attached earlier under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The latest attachments worth ₹1.83 crore on paper include two commercial and residential properties in Ranchi and a plot in Ramgarh, held in the name of Classic Coal Construction, Classic Multiplex and a former company managing director, Pawan Kumar Singh.
The ED’s money laundering probe is based on four FIRs registered and chargesheets filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Classic Coal Constructions and its directors Mr. Pawan Kumar Singh, Mr. Dilip Kumar Singh, 22 engineers with the Road Construction Department in the State government and two others.
It is alleged that ignoring the requirement of procuring bitumen from the government undertaking oil companies, including HPCL, IOCL and BPCL, the company directors had submitted 492 fake invoices pertaining to HPCL, Ramnagar (West Bengal), to the Road Construction Department.
Forged bills
The accused showed procurement of 4,630 tonnes of bitumen for road works and received payments in connivance with the department engineers on the basis of forged bills amounting to ₹6.88 crore. The ill-gotten money was used to create assets and to meet miscellaneous expenditures pertaining to the company and its directors.
After identification of the alleged proceeds of crime, the ED issued two orders for attaching assets worth ₹2.08 crore and ₹1.83 crore.
