IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi and two others will celebrate diwali in ED's custody, Spl. court extended Remand by six more days

Raipur. The three accused, including IAS Sameer Vishnoi, will celebrate Diwali in ED's custody. The special court has extended remand by six more days in the money laundering case. Earlier, the court had granted 8-day remand to the accused.

IAS officer Sameer Bishnoi, businessman Sunil Agarwal & Laxmikant Tiwari were produced before Spl Court, Raipur today at the end of their remand. The money laundering case is linked to the alleged extortion of money from coal and mining transporters in the state.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Sameer Vishnoi, Sunil Agarwal and Laxmikant Tiwari, uncle of "absconding" coal businessman Suryakant Tiwari, after it launched multi-city raids in the state on October 11 as part of a money laundering investigation. The three were arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

During the search, ED recovered 4 kg gold, 20 carat diamond and Rs 47 lakh cash from his house. Apart from this, movable immovable property and documents were also recovered from Laxmikant Tiwari and Sunil Agarwal.

The federal agency had demanded their 14-day custody which was opposed by defence lawyers. The court later gave their custody to the ED for eight days in thursday morning after they were arrested. Today the court has extended custody of all three accused by six more days.

Apart from this, ED investigation has also been done in the official residence of Raigad Collector Ranu Sahu, ancestral house at Panduka in Gariaband district. IAS Ranu Sahu has also been questioned in the ED office on Thursday.

According to the experts, on the basis of the documents received by the ED, the people concerned are being questioned and their locations are being investigated.

Sameer Vishnoi, a Chhattisgarh-cadre Indian Administrative Service officer of 2009 batch, was working as CEO of the Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society and ex-officio special secretary of the Electronics and Information Technology Department.

Sameer Vishnoi also held the additional charge as Managing Director of the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (Markfed). Before this, Vishnoi served as Director of Geology and Mining Department. He was also the Managing Director of Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC).

The money laundering case is linked to alleged illegal levy extorted from coal and mining transporters in the state by a nexus of government officials, businessmen and private entities.