ED to attach Soubhagya Media properties of Dasari

After former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, it is now the turn of popular film director, kapu leader and ex- coal minister in Manmohan Singh cabinet, Dasari Narayana Rao to face the music from ED and CBI in the Coalgate scam.

He has been nailed by the Enforcement Directorate in the coal gate scam and money laundering. The ED has identified properties of Saubhagya Media Limited into which the JSW group of Naveen Jindal had transferred Rs 2.25 crore in lieu allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to JSPL.

The ED had examined Rao in connection with the case apart from other coal scam cases it is investigating and charge sheeted him in the coal gate scam. Sources said probe into the coal scam case say that investigators have listed the properties which will be attached as part of this case.

According to the CBI FIR, JSPL and Gagan Sponge Iron Ltd (also belonging to Jindal) had bagged Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand in 2008 through alleged misrepresentation of facts when Rao was minister of state for coal. The agency had claimed that Rao was bribed to favor the company and Rao, in turn, had pressured the screening committee.

Earlier, ED had attached properties worth Rs 181 crore in another coal scam case related to Navbharat Power Private Limited also linked to ex- minister Dasari Narayana Rao.