The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) have unearthed one of Chhattisgarh’s most complex corruption networks, a ₹570-crore coal levy scam where bureaucrats, political aides, and businessmen communicated in coded language to conceal illegal deals.
According to the 1,500-page charge sheet submitted to the court, the alleged masterminds, Suryakant Tiwari and Saumya Chaurasia, developed a network that used WhatsApp groups and codewords to coordinate the collection and distribution of massive sums of illicit money. To mask their transactions, the conspirators used simple construction terms as monetary codes — “Gitti” (gravel) meant crores of rupees, and “Reti” (sand) stood for lakhs. Politicians and officials were also referred to by coded initials — for instance, “D” represented MLA Devendra Yadav, while “RS” referred to Ranu Sahu.
FCRF Launches CCLP Program to Train India’s Next Generation of Cyber Law Practitioners
The charge sheet reveals that Tiwari and Chaurasia, through a close-knit syndicate, extorted hundreds of crores under the guise of “coal levies.” The illegal collections were managed by Tiwari’s trusted aides, Devendra Dadsena and Navneet Tiwari, who operated from different districts. Several WhatsApp groups — such as Pal Group, Durg Group, Weekly Group, Tower Group, and Jugnu Group — were created specifically to handle the logistics of the operation. These groups tracked payments, instructed couriers, and maintained internal communication about money movements and enforcement actions.
The ED alleges that this system was designed to appear harmless to outsiders but effectively functioned as an encrypted financial network. Each group had designated members who acted as couriers, informants, and coordinators for various zones. The messages were short, coded, and often deleted within minutes, indicating a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence.
Shockingly, the investigation has also brought senior bureaucrats and police officers under the scanner. The charge sheet names three IPS officers, including senior woman IPS officer Parul Mathur, IPS Prashant Agrawal, and IPS Bhojram Patel, for their suspected involvement. Investigators allege that these officers shared confidential departmental information with Tiwari and occasionally acted on his directions.
Specifically, IPS Parul Mathur has been accused of acting on Tiwari’s instructions by ordering actions against coal transport vehicles, which indirectly facilitated the illegal collection process. Another shocking revelation implicates constable Amit Kumar Dubey, who allegedly spied on ED officials and leaked operational details to Tiwari’s group.
The charge sheet presents digital evidence, including chat screenshots, transaction logs, and testimonies, proving that the coal levy racket operated like a parallel administrative system, deeply rooted within the bureaucratic structure. The ED and EOW claim the conspiracy wasn’t merely financial but represented a systematic abuse of power within the political and administrative framework.
As the case unfolds, panic has gripped Chhattisgarh’s bureaucracy. The ongoing investigation continues to expose layers of the network, hinting at deeper political-bureaucratic collusion. Officials close to the matter suggest that more names are likely to emerge as agencies decode additional encrypted messages and trace financial transfers.
The revelations mark a major setback for the state’s governance image. The “Gitti-Reti” code, once a clever concealment of corruption, has now become a symbol of how deeply the coal scam penetrated the system — from district collectors to senior IPS ranks.
With the court now examining the ED’s findings, more explosive disclosures are expected in the coming weeks. What began as a case of financial fraud has evolved into a full-blown crisis of credibility for the state’s administrative and political elite.
