The CBI late on Wednesday arrested seven ECL officials, including one general manager and three former general managers, in connection with a multi-crore coal scam.

The CBI started interrogating the present and former ECL officials at Nizam Palace in Calcutta on Wednesday morning. Sources said during interrogation, the CBI found irregularities and contradictions in the statements of the officials.

After marathon interrogations, the CBI arrested them late on Wednesday night. They were taken to SSKM hospital for routine health check-up after the arrests.

Sources said the CBI would produce the arrested officials in a special court of the CBI in Asansol on Thursday.

Sources said the names of those arrested surfaced following interrogation of accused persons who had been arrested earlier in connection with the coal smuggling case. The CBI has been probing the case since November 2019.

The CBI had earlier arrested Gurupada Maji, Joydeb Mandal, Naran Kharka and Nirod Mandal in connection with the case. Sources said the four arrested earlier were close associates of prime accused in the case, Anup Maji aka Lala.

The ED on Tuesday attached properties worth Rs 15 crore of another accused Binay Mishra and Joydeb Mandal in connection with the coal scam.

One ECL official in Asansol on condition of anonymity said they had learnt about the arrest of a present GM and three former GMs in connection with the coal smuggling case from the media but refused to comment on the matter.