The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 30 conducted raids at the premises of Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav and his associates in connection with a money laundering case across Jharkhand.
According to sources, the ED conducted raids at 12 locations across Jharkhand, including four in Ranchi and eight in Deoghar and surrounding areas.
“The case is related to Income Tax actions on Pradeep Yadav and others. Income Tax department conducted raids a few months ago,” said sources.
Pradeep Yadav is a five-time legislator from the Poraiyahat seat and is also the deputy leader of the party in the state Assembly.
ED is investigating the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
It is to be noted that Pradeep Yadav and another party legislator were raided by the Income Tax department in 2022.
The searches were in connection with an alleged tax evasion probe against groups in coal trading and transportation, execution of civil contracts, extraction of iron ore and production of sponge iron in Jharkhand.
Further details are awaited.
During the earlier raids, Rs 2 lakh were recovered from MLA Pradeep Yadav, Rs 40 lakh from his close aide and Godda hotelier Shyamakant Yadav, and Rs 9 lakh from Dumka’s Vinod Kumar Lal.
The raids conducted by both ED and the IT Department are connected to the same case of money laundering.
According to ED sources, a team of the central investigating agency had also reached the residence of Pradeep Yadav’s close aide Shivkumar Yadav in Ranchi near Cheshire Home Road. Raids are also going on in a construction company at Ratu Road in Ranchi, which is said to be related to Pradeep Yadav. The ED is also conducting searching Pradeep Yadav’s residence in Ranchi.
