EOU FILED FIR AGAINST RJD LEADER OVER ILLEGAL MINING WORTH Rs. 49.53 CRORE

EOU FILED FIR AGAINST RJD LEADER OVER ILLEGAL MINING WORTH Rs. 49.53 CRORE

25-MARCH-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA----------------------------Exactly one week ago, on March 14, *Tarunmitra* prominently published a report under the headline: "RJD Leader is an Illegal Sand Trader; ED Recommends Imposing a ₹50 Crore Fine." This report subsequently created a massive stir. A search was immediately initiated for the file—which had been kept suppressed for two years under the pretext of an ongoing investigation. On March 19, Kartik Kumar, the District Mining Officer of Patna, submitted an application to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), requesting the registration of an FIR against Broadson Director Subhash Yadav and other members of the syndicate. Acting on this request, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) registered an FIR on Monday against RJD leader and then-Director of Broadson, Subhash Yadav, along with other syndicate members, and has officially commenced an investigation. The FIR proposes a fine of ₹49.53 crore for the illegal sand mining activities. Prior to this instance, the EOU had already registered FIRs against Subhash Yadav and his associates; these cases involve officials from both the police administration and the Mining Department. With the registration of this latest FIR by the EOU, the noose appears to be tightening once again around illegal sand traders. Several individuals—whose faces currently project an image of respectability but who maintain links with Subhash Yadav—are set to be unmasked, and it is considered certain that they will soon face legal action. The Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Patna, through letters bearing reference numbers 14/2023/1078 dated 28/10/24, 896 dated 17/09/24, 647-648 dated 08/08/24, and 1822 dated 07/04/25, wrote to the Mining Department of the Government of Bihar. These letters stated that in the year 2021, Subhash Yadav—a Director of the Broadson Company—along with members of a syndicate, caused a financial loss of ₹49.53 crore to the government through illegal mining. The letters requested that an FIR be registered and appropriate action be initiated against Broadson Director Subhash Yadav and the members of the syndicate.

Despite the unequivocal report submitted by the ED, a bureaucratic game of correspondence continued between the Mining Department and the respective District Mining Offices of Patna, Bhojpur, and Saran. Between the years 2024 and 2025, correspondence was exchanged on seven separate occasions, even though the ED had explicitly stated in its investigation report that Broadson had inflicted a financial loss of ₹49.53 crore upon the government through illegal mining. The report further noted that, in addition to Subhash Yadav, several other individuals were involved in this illegal mining activity. The ED's report also detailed the specific share held by Subhash Yadav and the members of the syndicate associated with him.

The Broadson Company had been awarded the contract for sand mining operations across three districts: Patna, Bhojpur, and Saran. The Broadson Company effectively hijacked the entire administrative system and engaged in blatant illegal mining. This operation received extensive support from politicians and individuals embedded within the government machinery; subsequently, through collusion, these individuals became "backdoor partners" in the Broadson Company. According to sources, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has now secured evidence revealing exactly how many individuals invested specific amounts into the Broadson Company through illicit backdoor channels, and the quantum of profits they subsequently reaped from these investments. Individuals who have invested funds through backdoor channels—as well as the white-collar figures and government officials, functionaries, and employees implicated in illegal sand mining and trade—may soon face interrogation. The government, too, desires that strict action be taken against the sand mafia.