The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Maya Warrier, an official of the Chhattisgarh government, in connection with the alleged District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scam that surfaced during the previous Congress administration.
Warrier, who worked in the Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development Department, was apprehended on Tuesday and presented before a special court for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on Wednesday, according to ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey.
This arrest marks the first in the ongoing DMF investigation that began last year. The court has granted the ED custody of Warrier until October 22.
Pandey mentioned, “We submitted a request to produce Ranu Sahu, a suspended IAS officer currently in judicial custody for an alleged coal scam, on a production warrant related to the DMF case. However, the jail authority informed us that she was experiencing medical issues.”
The ED’s investigation suggests that serious irregularities occurred within the DMF during Ranu Sahu’s tenure as collector in Raigarh and Korba districts under the previous Congress government. It is alleged that Warrier received significant kickbacks from contractors awarded DMF-related projects.
“When Sahu was collector in coal-rich areas, Warrier facilitated these irregularities,” Pandey claimed.
Earlier this year, the ED alleged that mining contractors linked to the DMF in Chhattisgarh paid substantial amounts in illegal kickbacks to state officials and political figures to secure work tenders.
The DMF, established in each district, is funded by miners to benefit communities affected by mining activities.