New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS): In a major crackdown against the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) group in Jharkhand, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has attached properties to the tune of Rs 2.89 crore of maoists Binod Kumar Ganjhu, Pradeep Ram and their family members in its money laundering probe.
The ED in a statement said that the agency has attached immovable and movable properties totaling Rs 2.89 crore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in a case related to illegal collection of levy from the contractors or coal merchants through criminal extortion and intimidation in Magadh-Amrapali Coal Area in Jharkhand's Chatra district by the members of banned LWE organisation Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC).
The agency said that the attached assets include immovable and movable properties held in the name of the Moaists Binod Kumar Ganjhu, Pradeep Ram and their family members.
According to the financial probe agency, the immovable properties are located in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand and movable properties include cash to the tune of Rs 1.49 crore seized from the houses of accused persons, five vehicles worth Rs 89 lakh as well as bank balances in eight bank accounts to the tune of Rs 35.18 lakh.
During probe it was revealed that Binod Kumar Ganjhu, Pradeep Ram and other maoists were running local committees namely "Magadh Organizing Committee" and "Amrapali Shanti Samiti".
"In the guise of the said committees, Binod Kumar Ganjhu and other accused used to extort levy from contractors, transporters, delivery order holders and coal merchants which was further handed over to the members of TPC organization," it alleged.
It said that the accused had started proprietorship in their own name and acquired vehicles out of levy amount for transportation of coal to further launder the extorted levy as genuine money whereas the same were proceeds of crime generated through aforesaid criminal activity.
The ED had registered a case of money laundering on the basis of FIR and chargesheet filed by Jharkhand Police against Binod Kumar Ganjhu, Pradeep Ram, Munesh Ganjhu, Birbal Ganjhu and Bindu Ganjhu.