ED seeks ‘fugitive economic offender’ tag for ex-TMC youth leader Vinay Mishra
The agency has asked the court to confiscate Mishra’s properties under the 2018 law, citing alleged proceeds of crime from two cases.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached a Delhi court to label former Trinamool Congress (TMC) youth leader Vinay Mishra a fugitive economic offender (FEO) in relation to alleged coal and cattle smuggling activities in West Bengal. The ED filed the application under Sections 4 and 12 of the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act, 2018 on September 2, seeking to declare Mishra a fugitive economic offender and seize his assets, according to a source.
The law empowers authorities to confiscate the proceeds of crime and assets of those declared as economic offenders, provided the amount involved exceeds ₹100 crore. Mishra, who fled India in 2020 and subsequently obtained citizenship of Vanuatu, is accused of receiving "proceeds of crime worth ₹730 crore" in 2021 from his brother Vikas Mishra in connection with illegal coal mining, alongside an estimated ₹1,352 crore in irregularities.
Additionally, Mishra is implicated in a 2020 money laundering case related to alleged cattle smuggling in West Bengal, with the ED identifying proceeds of crime exceeding ₹400 crore. The ED's investigation into Mishra alleges a system of political patronage and a well-organized network involved in illegal activities, with West Bengal's chief minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, reportedly benefiting from funds generated through illegal mining.
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- ED seeks fugitive tag for former TMC youth wing leader Vinay Mishra hindustantimes.com
