Coal case: CBI notice against Trinamool leader’s brother

New Delhi/Kolkata, March 6 : Swinging into action against Trinamool Congress youth wing leader Vinay Mishra’s brother, Vikas Mishra, in an alleged coal smuggling case, the central probe agency has issued a look out circular (LOC) notice.
A senior CBI official in Delhi told IANS: “The CBI has issued a LOC against Vikas Mishra today.” The action comes as West Bengal gets battle-ready for a crucial Assembly poll in March-April, with results expected on May 2.
According to CBI officials, an LOC against Vinay was issued earlier as he has been absconding in the coal smuggling case. Now a LOC has also been issued against Vikas, the official said.
The CBI had registered a case against the alleged kingpin of the pilferage racket Anup Majhi alias Lala, Eastern Coalfield Ltd General Managers Amit Kumar Dhar and Jayesh Chandra Rai, ECL chief of security Tanmay Das, area security inspector Kunustoria Dhananjay Rai, and SSI and security in-charge Kajora area Debashish Mukherjee.
On February 23, the CBI team questioned Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira Banerjee in Kolkata in connection with the case. The CBI also quesstioned Rujira’s sister Menka Gambhir on February 22.
Following the questioning of Rujira and Gambhir, the CBI team also carried out searches in Kolkata on the premises of a businessman Randhir Kumar Barnwal on February 26 this year.
On November 28 last year, the CBI had conducted raids at 45 locations in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the coal smuggling racket.
On February 19, the CBI had also carried out searches at 13 locations in four districts of West Bengal including the premises of coal mafia Jaidev Mondal.
The action of the CBI assumes importance as the polling to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases, on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. Voting will take place on May 2.
The ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP are engaged in bitter war of words in the state.(IANS)