Delhi HC extends custody parole of accused arrested in WB coal mining'

The Delhi High Court on Thursday extended by five days the custody parole of an accused, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged coal mining scam in West Bengal.

Justice Jasmeet Singh granted relief to Gurupada Maji to enable him to attend certain rituals following the death of his mother last month.

The court, while dealing with the plea of the accused for extension of his release, said that instead of September 3, his custody parole will end on September 8.

“The custody parole granted to the applicant is extended by five days i.e till September 8″, the court said.

Maji, who was arrested by the investigating agency in May, was released on custody parole by the court on August 25 for a period ending on September 3 to enable him to attend the last rites and rituals of his mother.

The ED has said that it has no objections to the extension of custody parole by five days.

The agency has claimed that Maji is a partner of a prime accused or ”kingpin” in the case — Anup Majee and he ”received more than Rs 66 crore from the proceeds of crime generated through illegal coal mining business from Anup Majee alias Lala and his associates”.

This ED case of money laundering stems from a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore-rupee coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in West Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol.

A charge sheet was filed by the ED in the case in May last year.

The agency has said that the total proceeds of crime in the case stand at Rs 1,352 crore and it has attached assets of Rs 180 crore till now.

Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP and nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been questioned in this case by the ED even as his wife Rujira was summoned.