A day after the State Economic Offences Investigation Bureau and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SEOIACB) secured custody of long-absconding former Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee treasurer Ramgopal Agrawal, the Special Court on Thursday remanded him to SEOIACB custodial interrogation till July 17, giving investigators nine days to question him in the alleged coal levy, liquor and custom milling scam investigations. Agrawal was produced before the Court of Special Judge Sumit Kapoor after undergoing medical examination. SEOIACB had sought 14 days’ custodial remand, contending that sustained interrogation was necessary in view of the voluminous documentary, digital and financial evidence collected in multiple linked investigations. After hearing both sides, the Court granted nine days’ custodial remand till July 17. Agrawal, who was wanted by the Enforcement Directorate, Raipur Zonal Office (ED-RPZO), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and SEOIACB, had remained out of the reach of investigators for nearly three years. His disappearance followed a series of Enforcement Directorate searches in 2022-23, after which he was rarely seen in public. Sources in the central agencies said the Chhattisgarh Government’s recent sanction permitting a CBI probe had further intensified efforts to trace him before he eventually came within the reach of SEOIACB investigators on Wednesday.

 

According to SEOIACB, custodial interrogation will focus on alleged financial transactions, the source, movement, receipt and utilisation of funds, digital evidence, seized documents and diary entries recovered during investigation. The agency is also examining Agrawal’s alleged role, contacts with other accused persons, financial transactions, coordination and other material emerging in the coal levy case. Investigators are expected to confront him with entries allegedly recovered from a diary seized from Suryakant Tiwari, which purportedly records transactions worth crores of rupees under the head “Congress Bhawan.” According to the agency, the investigation has so far revealed that the money reflected in those entries was allegedly received by Agrawal at Congress Bhawan. He is being questioned regarding the diary entries, the source of funds, persons who allegedly delivered the money, the recipient, utilisation of the funds and other connected aspects. SEOIACB said Agrawal will also be interrogated in the liquor scam, where the investigation has allegedly revealed that Anwar Dhebar and his associates delivered crores of rupees to Congress Bhawan through him. Similarly, in the custom milling incentive case, investigators claim Roshan Chandrakar routed crores of rupees to Agrawal at Congress Bhawan.

 

The agency said questioning would cover the collection, transportation, receipt and utilisation of the alleged funds, besides the role of all connected persons. The agency also confirmed that Vaibhav Agrawal, son of Ramgopal Agrawal, had been questioned over the previous two days. Investigators are understood to have examined issues relating to his father’s whereabouts, financial dealings and alleged network during the period he remained unavailable for investigation. A sizeable number of Congress workers assembled outside the court premises during the production proceedings. Defence counsel Faizal Rizvi submitted that SEOIACB had sought a 14-day remand, while the Court granted custody till July 17. Meanwhile, the Congress announced a statewide protest on Friday, alleging misuse of investigating agencies. Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s son Chaitanya Baghel, who is also an accused in a connected case, was present at the court but declined to comment. SEOIACB maintained that the investigation into all connected cases was continuing and that further statutory action would be taken on the basis of facts, evidence and material emerging during custodial interrogation.