ED seeks details of vehicle purchases, sales linked to mining trader Ratikant Raut and 33 others

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stepped up its probe against mining trader Ratikant Raut, alias ‘Zulu’, by seeking detailed records of vehicle transactions allegedly conducted in the names of 34 benami individuals and entities.

Sources said the ED has asked for records of all vehicles purchased or sold against these names, including those registered using the corresponding PAN numbers. In response, the department has written to the Transport Commissioner to collect and provide the data.

The case against Zulu Raut intensified after the ED raided eight locations simultaneously on January 8, 2025, including premises in Dhenkanal, Hindol, and Bhubaneswar, as part of its investigation into alleged illegal mining and money laundering. A formal PMLA case was subsequently registered against him.

In a sensational twist earlier this year, the CBI arrested ED Deputy Director Chintan Raghuvanshi for allegedly accepting Rs 20 lakh bribe from Raut to settle the case.

Notably, the central agency’s Bhubaneswar Zonal Office has written to the State Transport department, seeking details of vehicle transactions linked to 34 individuals and organisations. The agency has provided a list of these persons and entities, asking the department to verify its database to determine whether any vehicles were purchased or sold by them.

Following the ED’s communication, the Transport Department has directed the Transport Commissioner to furnish the required information at the earliest.

The move comes as part of the ED’s ongoing investigation into possible financial irregularities involving the listed individuals and entities.