Bhubaneswar: The enforcement directorate (ED) recently filed a chargesheet against stone miner Ratikant Rout, two months after arresting him for his alleged involvement in illegal mining-related money laundering, the agency said on Wednesday. Rout was arrested on Aug 20 for allegedly laundering money generated through illegal mining and acquiring assets with the proceeds of crime. “He and entities associated with him generated and acquired proceeds of crime estimated at more than Rs 341 crore through illegal mining and mineral theft,” the ED said in a statement.Rout held minor mineral quarry leases in Dhenkanal district but allegedly carried out extensive excavation beyond the permitted limits and extracted minerals from unauthorised areas, the agency said.On Jan 8, 2025, the ED conducted searches at multiple premises linked to Rout. His complaint on May 29, 2025, subsequently led the CBI to lay a trap and arrest Chintan Raghuvanshi, then a deputy director of the ED in Bhubaneswar, the following day for allegedly accepting Rs 20 lakh bribe from Rout in exchange for sparing him in the case.
