ED chargesheet spotlights sand theft of Rs 145 crore, multiple firms under scanner
Telegraph | 4 January 2026
Illegal sand mining to the tune of nearly ₹145 crore was allegedly carried out in parts of Bengal by Arun Saraf and his company, GD Mining Private Limited, along with 14 other firms and his several associates, the Enforcement Directorate said in a chargesheet submitted on Saturday.
The chargesheet, submitted to the ED special court at Bichar Bhavan in Calcutta, said the accused were involved in illegal mining in contravention of the West Bengal Sand-Mining-Transportation- Storage and Sale Rules 2021 and made a huge amount of money, a part of which is clearly “proceeds of crime”.
The investigations alleged that Saraf had played a pivotal role in organising the scam to a large extent and made a huge income. The ED arrested Saraf in November 2025 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and the chargesheet was submitted within 57 days of the arrest.
“The investigation was initiated based on various FIRs registered by the Bengal police for alleged theft and illegal sale of sand and transportation using forged road e-challans issued by GD Mining Private Limited,” a senior ED official said.
“During the probe, it appeared that forged and invalid challans were used for illegal transportation of stolen sand from the river and stock points.”
The chargesheet, submitted a day after the CBI placed its final chargesheet on the alleged irregularities in recruitment in municipalities across Bengal, is likely to lend more steam to the BJP’s campaign against corruption ahead of the Assembly polls, several political observers said.
ED insiders said that the investigation revealed that the accused persons used to transport the stolen sand illegally from stock points, obtained through allotted or auctioned mines.
“The illegal cash generated through these activities has been merged into the regular books of accounts by unexplained cash deposits,” the ED official said. “By adopting these fraudulent methods, the accused engaged in large-scale theft, illegal transportation, and sale of sand, and this led to the undue enrichment of various people.”
Illegal sand mining has always remained a contentious issue with the state government. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has frequently expressed anger over rising sand smuggling and instructed the administration and the police to prevent it.
A few years ago, her government introduced auctions of sand blocks to curb smuggling and increase government revenue.
However, multiple sources said that despite the government’s efforts to maximise revenue from riverbed minerals, several syndicates mushroomed to collect illegal levy from traders. There have also been complaints of sand being extracted beyond permissible limits, posing a threat to the environment.