Bhopal: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Bhopal Zonal Office, has filed a chargesheet against Shailendra Pasari, a former Senior Manager (Civil) at Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The chargesheet was submitted before the Special PMLA Court in Jabalpur on January 9, 2026, and a notice for pre-cognisance hearing has been issued to the accused, the investigation agency said.
The ED’s action stems from two FIRs registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Corruption Branch (CBI ACB), Jabalpur, ED said.
The first FIR, dated September 8, 2018, was filed under Sections 7 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988. Pasari was caught red-handed by CBI accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 for clearing pending escalation bills at NCL’s Jayant Project in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, it said.
Subsequent searches at Pasari’s residence, bank lockers, and office led to the recovery of unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 72,97,200.
A second FIR, dated September 22, 2018, was registered under Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(b) of the PC Act for possession of disproportionate assets (DA). The CBI alleged that Pasari and his family members held assets worth Rs 1.30 crore during the check period from January 1, 2014, to September 8, 2018—representing 124.12 per cent disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The ED quantified the Proceeds of Crime (PoC) at Rs 1,30,94,155, comprising the Rs 72.97 lakh cash already seized by the CBI (currently in law enforcement agency custody) and assets valued at Rs 57,96,955. These assets were provisionally attached by the ED through a Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) dated March 13, 2025. The Adjudicating Authority under PMLA, New Delhi, confirmed the attachment on August 14, 2025.
The investigation revealed that Pasari knowingly acquired, possessed, concealed, and used the proceeds of crime, projecting them as untainted. He allegedly routed illicit cash through multiple family-held bank accounts and converted it into financial instruments and properties. This established the offence of money laundering under Section 3, punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA, 2002, the agency said.
In its chargesheet, the ED has sought confiscation of the attached properties and the cash seized by the CBI.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by central agencies to tackle corruption in public sector undertakings and the laundering of ill-gotten gains.
Pasari, previously employed at NCL’s Jayant Project, faces serious charges that could lead to significant legal consequences if proven in court.
The matter is now pending before the Special PMLA Court in Jabalpur for further proceedings.
(IANS)
