Summary:
Nagpur: In a massive crackdown on coal mafia in the city, crime branch sleuths have a busted a major coal smuggling racket after raiding Jai Bhole Dharamkata on Bhandara Road on Monday. Cops nabbed Azhar, Nasim and Mangesh from the spot along with three trucks carrying 78 tonne coal. Cops also seized coal which was dumped there earlier. One of the trucks had loaded coal from Gondwana Mine and was supposed to deliver it at a company in Butibori, but the commodity was diverted and handed over to Mankar and Singh. Police have arrested six persons from the spot and also seized around 158 tonne coal along with four trucks , in all worth Rs62.61 lakh.However, kingpin of the racket Ramnarayan Thakur is still absconding.The arrested accused are identified as Azhar Sheikh, Nasim Sheikh, Mangesh Thawre, Rambahor Chaudhari, Ramchandra Mankar and Uday Singh.According to police, they had received a tipoff that some transporters collect coal from mines for delivering it to companies, but some of the stock gets diverted and sold off to other customers illegally Following this, cops raided the spot where the smuggled coal was being traded..