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Hyderabad: The trail of alleged illegal sand mining in Andhra Pradesh during the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh, has led the Enforcement Directorate to conduct searches at eight locations connected to three companies in Hyderabad, Jaipur and Coimbatore on Tuesday, May 26.

In a statement to media on Friday, May 29, the ED has stated that it has recovered Rs 1.53 crore in Indian currency, 1,800 USD, several digital devices and incriminating documents, including the details of movable and immovable properties held in the names of the accused and their family members.

The alleged sand mining scam, according to the Enforcement Directorate, was perpetrated collectively by Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd (JPVL), Prathima Infrastructure Ltd, and GCKC Projects and Works Pvt Ltd, in mining operations such as illegal mining of sand, provisions of tenders and agreements.

The issue had come to light after a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged by the Central Investigation Unit (CIU) of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of NTR district, Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh against the three business entities, and VG Venkata Reddy, the then Director, Mines and Geology in AP.

The ED’s investigation has revealed that the District Level Sand Committee (DLSC) has found that the three entities had not only excavated sand beyond the permitted depth, but also excavated sand from the area where it was not permitted.

The office of the director of mines and geology had issued several show cause notices to the said companies for conducting illegal excavations, and later demand notices were also issued to these companies.

The ED stated that upon analysis of the demand notices, it came to light that the director of mines and geology had raised demand notices amounting to Rs 2,407.70 crore from the three entities.

However, the ED searches were conducted atthe official premises of GCKC Projects and Woprks Pct Ltd, Prathima Infrastructure Ltd, and Turnkey Enterprises Pvt Ltd, and also at the residence and farmhouse of Boinpally Srinivas Rao, Ashok Kumar, and VG Venkata Reddy at Hyderabad, and in Jaipur.

Boinpally Srinivas Rao is known to be a close relative of former Telangana chief minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). His association spans ideologies and political parties, when it comes to his business.

If the ED manages to prove a link between the then BRS government in Telangana and the YSRCP government in AP in illegal mining operations, the present Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government will have a home run, as in the game of baseball.

Srinivas Rao has been accused of acquiring prime lands in financial district at throwaway rates during the BRS regime.

If the ED’s effort is washed away by political surrenders, or in the words of KCR, “Washing Powder Nirma,” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre; there will be neither an investigation nor any conviction for the accused during their lifetime.

The ED will find peanuts, while the vaults will be somewhere else, feel observers.