Ranpur Mine Scam: Mines Leaseholder Sushant Barad Arrested From Odisha Capital

Nayagarh: A special squad of Odisha police arrested mines leaseholder Sushant Barad near Khandagiri here on Wednesday night in connection with illegal mining at Mayurjhalia in Odisha’s Nayagarh district.

Last month, six government officials were placed under suspension for their alleged role in illegal mining in Ranpur area. Criminal cases were earlier registered and a probe was initiated against the six officials and five others, including Barad and another lessee and director of Agarwal Infra Builders Sashank Agarwal, following a directive of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Kolkata.

The two lessees were accused of carrying out out excess mining of laterite stone and murram in nexus with some officials and staffers of the Ranpur tehsil. Barad was fined Rs 2,81,59,945 on January 10 this year for the excess mining. Instead of paying the hefty sum, he lodged a complaint against collector Rabindra Nath Sahu, accusing him of demanding Rs 25 lakh in bribes from him. The allegation was, however, rejected by the NGT.

It is pertinent to mention here that Barad was accorded the lease for mining laterite stone and murram from four acres of land on plot Number-1689 under Mayurjhalia mouza in the district for a period of five years.