Overview
- ED searches covered more than 25 locations in Ganjam targeting illegal sand and black‑stone mining networks, including linked businesses.
- Officials reported seizing ₹2.63 crore in cash, incriminating documents, property records, mining agreements, and several high‑end benami vehicles.
- BJD demanded Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena’s removal, pointing to an official letter naming Sunil Patra as his representative whose premises were searched.
- Jena denied wrongdoing and said the government maintains zero tolerance toward illegal mining.
- The action comes after CAG flags on rampant riverbed extraction and BJD‑cited figures showing sharp revenue declines, while the ED probe remains ongoing with no action against the minister reported.