New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at various places in Delhi & Haryana, in connection with illegal mining and alleged diversion & siphoning off money by M/s. Govardhan Mines & Sunder Marketing for creating ‘personal assets’.
The ED sleuths, last week, conducted searches at multiple properties of M/s. Govardhan Mines & Minerals, M/s. Sunder Marketing and Associates and their partners, spread over Delhi, Hisar, Bhiwani, Karnal & Yamunanagar.
The investigative agency, in its searches, found many incriminating documents and seized valuable assets including a Mercedes car with acquisition value of approx. Rs. 1.25 Crore, cash of Rs. 26.45 lakh. Many digital evidences including hard disks & mobiles were impounded during the searches.
The damning documents reveal that these firms indulged in many mining violations by bypassing environmental clearances and raised proceeds of crime amounting to hundred of crores.
The probe agency had launched money laundering investigation under the PMLA Act 2002, based on chargesheet filed by the Regional Officer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Bhiwani before Ld. Special Environment Court, Kurukshetra.
The companies in question, M/s. Sunder Mining and Associates and M/s. Govardhan Mines & Minerals, were recently penalized with a penalty of Rs 65 crore by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for doing illegal & unscientific mining causing large scale damage to the environment.
“The documents reveal the dubious modus operandi of the M/s. Sunder Marketing and Associate & others the company in bagging mining contracts,” the agency said in a statement.
While the ED conducted searches at the premises under PMLA, the accounts & back lockers of these group were frozen.
