CBI summons alleged kingpin of coal smuggling racket

Kolkata, April 3 : Tightening its noose around alleged kingpin of illegal coal smuggling case, Anup Majhi aka Lala, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned him once again for questioning on April 5.

The CBI on Saturday also questioned Ganesh Bavaria, a businessman who is said to be close to Majhi.

A senior CBI official related to probe told IANS, "The agency has asked Majhi to appear before the agency on Monday to record his statement in the case."The CBI had questioned Majhi twice, on March 30 and April 1, in the case for several hours and have asked him questions related to his business, financial transactions and his relationship with several others named in the case.

On April 1, the CBI had also questioned former Birbhum SP Shyam Singh.The official said that the agency had recorded the statement of Bavariya about his relationship with Majhi and business dealings.

The CBIs action comes in the wake of a case registered in November last year involving alleged illegal coal pilferage.Last week, the CBI had questioned former Asanol Commissioner, Laxmi Narayan Meena for more than three and half hours in connection with the case.

It had registered a case against the alleged kingpin of the pilferage racket Majhi, Eastern Coalfield Ltd General Managers Amit Kumar Dhar and Jayesh Chandra Rai, ECL chief of security Tan Das, area security inspector Kunustoria Dhananjay Rai, and SSI and security in-charge Kajora area Debashish Mukherjee last year.The CBI also recorded the statement of Rujira Banerjee, wife of Trinamool Congress MP and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees nephew Abhishek Banerjee and his sister-in-law Menka Gambhir in the last week of February.

The agency has recently carried out searches at several locations in the state, including at the premises of Amit Agarwal, a close aide of Majhi, raising the heat in poll-bound West Bengal, where the ruling Trinamool and the BJP are engaged in a bitter battle.