Chhattisgarh woman IAS officer arrested in alleged coal levy case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested IAS officer Ranu Sahu in Chhattisgarh in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged coal levy scam in the state, officials said.

Following her arrest, Sahu, who was posted as the director of the state agriculture department, was presented in a court that sent her to three-day ED custody.

She is the second IAS officer in the state to be arrested in the case.

Her arrest came a day after the central agency conducted raids at her premises.

"Sahu was arrested this morning in connection with the alleged coal levy case. She was later produced in a court hearing Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases, which sent her to three-day ED custody," ED's lawyer Saurabh Pandey said.

The court of Additional District and Session Judge Ajay Singh Rajput passed the order.

Investigation into the case revealed the involvement of Sahu, who had served as Raigarh and Korba collector, in the money laundering offence. Proceeds of the crime as immovable property to the tune of Rs 5.52 crore were found in her possession, Pandey said.

The ED demanded her 14-day custody, but the court granted her custody to the agency till July 25, he added.