Mining businessman, his company among 18 named by ED in sand mining chargesheet

The ED has chargesheeted 14 companies and four individuals, including businessman Arun Saraf, in a West Bengal illegal sand mining case involving alleged smuggling worth Rs 145 crore. (Representative image)

In its chargesheet in the illegal sand mining case in West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named 14 companies and four persons, including businessman Arun Saraf and his three employees, sources said.

According to ED officials, preliminary findings suggest that nearly Rs 145 crore of illegal smuggling of sand had taken place, in which Saraf’s company, GD Mining, was allegedly involved.

Last September, the ED conducted raids in Jhargram and Behala in Kolkata. It was followed by the arrest of Saraf in the first week of November. As late as December, the ED conducted raids in 12 places, across West Bengal, including Park Street, New Alipore, Amherst Street in Kolkata.

ED sources said that nearly 4,700 pages of documents have been submitted along with the chargesheet. According to ED sources, Saraf, who was arrested on November 6, is accused of laundering Rs 78 crore made from illegal sand mining.

The central probe agency alleged that Saraf has committed “every possible form of fraud”. He allegedly earned huge profits by mining and selling sand by flouting all the rules and regulations of the West Bengal Sand (Mining, Transport, Storage and Sale) Development Corporation Limited (WBMDTCL).

The ED has alleged that there are irregularities in the bank accounts of Saraf’s company. “During the 2024–25 financial year, Rs 130 crore was deposited into the company’s bank account, while Rs 103 crore was deposited from sand sales alone,” an ED official said.

In the chargesheet, the ED has also detailed how sand was illegally smuggled.

According to the agency, trucks authorised for sand extraction were required to provide their vehicle numbers. It is alleged that the same registration number was used on multiple trucks to transport sand, which, in many cases, went unnoticed by the administration.

Also, permission slips for sand extraction carried QR codes, which were allegedly forged. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday.