The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting raids in central India's Chhatisgarh at about 16 locations owned by government officials who are reportedly close to the state's chief minister Bhupesh Baghel in connection with an alleged case of Disproportionate Assets (DA).
The ED raided the residences of CM's secretary Saumya Chaurasia, Chartered Accountant Vijay Malu, the residences of Raigad Collector Ranu Sahu, Indian Administrative Service's mining executive JP Maurya and others, according to Republic Media Network's sources.
The raids come days after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Baghel urged people not to fear central agencies and said that if the state police received complaints of “unnecessary” harassment from central agencies, "strict action" would be taken against their officials.
"There's no need to fear the I-T [Income Tax department], ED, or DRI [Directorate of Revenue Intelligence]. We are not against any central agency; we rather welcome them. Action should be taken against those who do wrong. But if anyone is being harassed or targeted unnecessarily, and state police receive a complaint in this regard, then I promise that stern action will be taken against those officers of central agencies."
Similar raids carried out by the Income Tax department in June and July took place at the premises of coal businessman Suryakant Tiwari and a government official working in the chief minister’s Office.