Coal Scam: IAS Officer's Assets Worth Crores Attached

In Chhattisgarh, authorities have seized assets worth Rs 4 crore from suspended IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, who is implicated in the coal levy scam, due to allegations of possessing wealth exceeding his known income sources.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points

Authorities in Chhattisgarh attached Rs 4 crore worth of properties belonging to suspended IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi in connection with the coal levy scam.
The Economic Offences Wing registered a disproportionate assets case against Vishnoi in July 2024.
The attached properties, acquired through illicit means, include nine immovable properties in the names of Vishnoi's family members and associated firms.
The Enforcement Directorate had previously attached five immovable properties linked to Vishnoi in connection with the same coal levy scam.
Vishnoi was first arrested in 2022 and later granted bail by the Supreme Court in the alleged Rs 540 crore coal scam.

Authorities in Chhattisgarh on Saturday attached properties worth Rs 4 crore belonging to suspended IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, an accused in the coal levy scam, for allegedly amassing assets beyond his known sources of income, officials said.

The Economic Offences Wing had registered a disproportionate assets (DA) case against him in July 2024, an official release said.

During the investigation, the agency identified nine immovable properties, valued at around Rs 4 crore, allegedly acquired through illicit means in the names of Vishnoi's family members and associated firms, it said.

Details of the Attached Properties

"An application seeking attachment of these properties was filed before the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Raipur. Following a hearing on April 17, the court ordered attachment of all such properties," the statement said.

Accordingly, the Anti Corruption Bureau/Economic Offences Wing (ACB/EOW) attached the properties. The attached properties cannot be sold or transferred, it said.

Previous Enforcement Directorate Action

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier provisionally attached five immovable properties linked to Vishnoi in connection with the coal levy scam, it added.

Proceedings are also underway in cases involving other public servants, including earlier action taken against properties linked to Saumya Chaurasia, who was deputy secretary in the chief minister's office during the Congress government, in September last year, the statement said.

Background of the Coal Levy Scam

Vishnoi, a 2009-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, was first arrested in 2022 by the ED in connection with the alleged coal levy scam. He was among several accused who were granted bail last year by the Supreme Court.

The scam refers to an alleged Rs 540 crore racket between July 2020 and June 2022, when an illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne was being extorted by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen for every tonne of coal transported in the state.

Under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Vishnoi could face further investigation and potential charges related to money laundering and abuse of power. The Economic Offences Wing will likely continue to investigate the source of the alleged illicit funds and any other individuals involved in the scheme. Such cases often involve multiple agencies and lengthy court proceedings.

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