Ranchi, Jun 5 (IANS): Absconding illegal mining 'kingpin' Rajesh Yadav a.k.a Dahu Yadav has been a big challenge for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Jharkhand Police for the past 11 months, with the central agency conducting searches at more than 100 locations linked to him to apprehend him but to no avail.

The ED sleuths have attached some movable properties of Yadav, and also arrested his father Pashupati Yadav.

Dahu Yadav, a resident of Shobhanpur Bhatta village of Jharkhand's Sahibganj, is allegedly the biggest kingpin of illegal mining of Rs 1,000 crore in the districts.

On Sunday, a team from four police stations of Sahibganj conducted a search operation on Karma Pahad, but no clue was found as to his whereabouts.

The police had received information about Yadav, his brother, and son and the suspected hideouts were searched by police but unsuccessfully.

The ED probe began in the case after the agency conducted raids on July 8.

The agency had conducted searches at 18 locations in Sahibganj, Barhet, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki and Barharwa resulting in seizure of various incriminating documents and Rs 5.34 crore unaccounted cash.

The ED had also seized cash amounting Rs 11.88 crore lying in bank accounts.

During this search operation, the ED had also seized a cargo vessel worth Rs 30 crore that was operated by Dahu Yadav for transporting illegally mined stone chips, stone boulders from Sukargarh Ghat on river Ganga in Sahibganj to Bihar and Bengal.

Yadav had responded to the summons of the ED and appeared before its office in Ranchi on July 18, 2022. However, since then, he has been absconding.

Yadav has two plots in Sahibganj Bijli Ghat, which cost around Rs 30 crore and ten SUVs.

During investigation, the ED gathered evidence indicating involvement of Dahu Yadav's father, brother Sunil Yadav and son Rahul Yadav and made them accused in the case.

In April, the ED had arrested his father and interrogated him, but he feigned lack of any information about who his son used to work with.

Even after repeated summons of the ED, when both did not appear for questioning, ED filed an application in the court. Dahu Yadav also filed a petition in the High Court to stop the attachment. However, it rejected his plea and after this, Dahu Yadav and his brother's properties were seized last month.