The Enforcement Directorate Raipur Zonal Office (ED-RPZO) arrested suspended and jailed IAS officer Ranu Sahu on Thursday in connection with the ongoing District Mineral Fund (DMF) scam. Sahu, the former district collector of Korba, is accused of playing a key role in the siphoning of exchequer money intended for the welfare of mining-affected communities. She was presented before the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Raipur, which has granted ED custody of Sahu until October 22. The ED’s investigation stems from three separate FIRs filed by the Chhattisgarh Police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, related to corruption and misuse of DMF funds.

 

It is alleged that during Sahu’s tenure as the district collector of Korba from May 2021 to June 2022, an organised system of illegal commission collection from contractors was operated. The investigation has uncovered that these contractors paid commissions ranging from 25 to 40 per cent of the contract value, amounting to substantial illegal profits. The ED has found that the DMF fund allocated solely to Korba district exceeded Rs 1,000 crore up to the 2022-23 fiscal year. Given the alleged rate of commission, it is estimated that hundreds of crores have been illicitly siphoned. In a related development, Maya Varier, former assistant commissioner of the Tribal Development Department in Korba, was arrested the other day. Varier, along with Sahu, is a prime accused in the case, with both women believed to have orchestrated the illegal operations during their respective tenures.