Coal Scam: ED Summons Five, Including LB Singh’s Wife, in Ongoing Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stepped up its investigation into an alleged coal scam, issuing summons to five people, including Aarti Singh, wife of coal trader LB Singh, officials said.

The agency has summoned three relatives of LB Singh and two individuals linked to businessman Anil Goyal as part of its ongoing probe into suspected financial irregularities connected with the coal trade.

Those summoned include Aarti Singh, LB Singh’s wife, his brother Vishwavijay Singh and his brother-in-law Ranjit Kumar Singh. The ED has also issued summons to Shabbir Alam and Mahendra Singh, who are reportedly linked to Anil Goyal.

Aarti Singh has been asked to appear before the ED at its regional office on August 20. Vishwavijay Singh has been directed to appear on August 14, while Ranjit Kumar Singh has been summoned on August 17. Shabbir Alam and Mahendra Singh have also been asked to appear before the agency next week.

The latest summons come days after the ED conducted a second round of searches on July 28 at multiple locations linked to coal traders in Dhanbad. The operation covered premises associated with prominent coal traders LB Singh and Anil Goyal and their associates.

During the searches, the agency reportedly froze investments worth around Rs 160 crore linked to LB Singh. More than 200 sale deeds were also seized from various locations.

The seized documents are now being examined as part of the investigation. The ED is expected to scrutinise the transactions and ownership details mentioned in the sale deeds to determine whether they are connected to the alleged proceeds of crime.

The latest action indicates that the agency is expanding its probe beyond the principal suspects and examining the financial and property dealings of their relatives and associates. However, being summoned by the ED does not by itself establish guilt, and the allegations remain subject to investigation and due legal process.