ED Raids in West Burdwan Seize Cash in Coal-Sand Laundering Probe

Overview

• Three ED teams with central forces launched pre-dawn searches at roughly a dozen locations across Jamuria, Durgapur, Nabagram and Raniganj.
• Cash recovered from businessman Rajesh Bansal’s Jamuria residence totaled about ₹65 lakh per officials on the scene, with some reports indicating the figure could approach ₹1 crore as SBI staff were brought in to count notes.
• Premises tied to Bansal and his sons Amit and Sumit, a hardware store and warehouse in Punjabi More, and the shop Bansal Hardware were searched for documents and cash.
• Other searches targeted trader Prabir Dutta in Sepco Township, coal trader Mainul Shah in Nabagram, and businessman Kiran Khan in Raniganj, with questioning conducted at several sites.
• Budbud police station’s newly appointed OC, Manoranjan Mandal—previously suspended while posted in Barabani—was raided and interrogated in Durgapur as the ED probes alleged use of rented bank accounts for coal transactions; the investigation remains ongoing and totals have not been formally confirmed.