Rs 2.5 Crore Cash Seizure Exposes Ganjam Sand Mafia, ED Conducts Raids on BJD Leader’s Links
The black empire of the sand mafia in Odisha’s Ganjam district has come under scrutiny following recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids, which allegedly led to the seizure of over Rs 2.5 crore in cash from a prominent sand operator, sources said. The crackdown has sparked widespread attention due to alleged links with Ganjam district BJD leader Hrusikesh Padhi.
During the raid at Padhi’s residence, he clarified that only Rs 25 lakh was seized and denied claims of crores being recovered. He explained that some funds were related to Hundi collections from the Shirdi Sai Temple he constructed and were intended for bank deposit.
Following Padhi’s connections, ED teams conducted simultaneous searches on January 16 at around 20 locations across Ganjam, including residences of businessmen and sand mafia operators in Berhampur, covering Bijipur, Lanjipalli, Jayaprakash Nagar, and New Bus Stand.
The investigation targets Krupasindhu Muduli, a key figure in Ganjam’s sand mafia network, as authorities trace the extensive operations reportedly spanning beyond Odisha.
