A special court will hear arguments today concerning the jail transfer of Suryakant Tripathi, an accused in the Chhattisgarh coal levy scam. The jail administration seeks to move Tripathi to Ambikapur jail, citing his disruptive behavior and lack of cooperation with the authorities. This follows an order by the ED court to relocate all accused in the excise, coal, and custom milling cases to different jails across the state. The ED has provisionally seized assets valued at Rs 49.73 crore, belonging to Suryakant Tiwari and others linked to the case. The ED’s investigation uncovered an illegal levy of Rs 25 per ton of coal, collected between July 2020 and June 2022, with the involvement of influential individuals. The funds generated from the scam, totaling Rs 570 crore, were allegedly used for bribes to government officials and for election-related expenses.
