EOW conducts raids at 14 locations in Chhattisgarh in DMF scam probe

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Wednesday carried out a series of raids across 14 locations in state as part of an ongoing probe into the alleged District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund scam, officials said.The searches were conducted at premises linked to multiple firms and their operators in Raipur (6 locations), Durg-Bhilai (2), Rajnandgaon (5), and Dhamtari (1). The action was taken in connection with Crime No. 02/2024, registered under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), and Sections 420, 120B, 467, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code.According to EOW state chief Amresh Mishra, the coordinated operation led to the seizure of a significant amount of digital evidence, including bank statements, property records, vouchers, GST returns, and documents indicating possible fake billing and commission payments to public servants in several districts to secure work orders from DMF funds.“The recovered materials suggest that contracts under the DMF were awarded through irregular means, possibly involving kickbacks and falsified financial records,” an official agency statement said.The agency said that all recovered documents are currently being examined. Preliminary scrutiny indicates possible violations related to the misuse of DMF allocations, intended for the welfare and development of mining-affected areas.Officials confirmed that the evidence collection and forensic review are ongoing and that further investigation will focus on tracing the money trail and identifying the beneficiaries of the alleged fraud.The DMF scheme, created to ensure mining revenues directly benefit local communities, has come under increasing scrutiny in Chhattisgarh amid allegations of large-scale fund diversion and corruption involving contractors and officials.