Bungalow in Mohali, land in Jharkhand, gold and SUV among assets CBI finds in raid at WCL official

Nagpur, Dec 23 (PTI) A bungalow in Punjab's Mohali, 900 grams of gold jewellery, agricultural land in Jharkhand and a high-end SUV - these are some of the assets that the CBI has unearthed during a raid at the residence of a Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) official in Nagpur, the agency said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) conducted the raid on Monday at the Katol Road residence of Sandeep Singh, Assistant Sales Manager at the government-run company, a subsidiary of Coal India, and his wife Sweta.

Prior to the raid, the probe agency booked the couple for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

According to the CBI, Singh amassed huge wealth far beyond his known sources of income.

"During the raid, the agency found 900 grams of gold jewellery, three agricultural lands in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, a residential plot worth about Rs 80 lakh in Nagpur, and a luxury Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). The CBI also found documents related to a bungalow purchased at Mohali in Punjab," an official said.

Singh spent several lakhs of rupees on lavish interior work at his houses, he said.

"Singh used a shell company in his wife's name to route and manage black money. He allegedly acquired movable and immovable assets in his own name and in the name of his wife between August 1, 2023, and August 31, 2025," he said.

A detailed assessment revealed that the couple's total income during the two-year period was Rs 1.27 crore, while their assets rose from Rs 1.62 crore to Rs 2.87 crore. The alleged disproportionate assets stood at Rs 45.23 lakh.

The CBI said Sweta Singh allegedly helped her husband in acquiring and holding the assets.

Further investigation is underway. PTI COR NP