Jharkhand: ED makes fresh arrest in money laundering case linked to alleged land grabbing in Ranchi

Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday apprehended one more person in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged grabbing of land in Jharkhand’s capital, Ranchi Badgai region.

An alleged land broker Shekhar Kushwaha alias Shekhar Mahto has been arrested by ED after the former appear before the agency’s zonal office at Ranchi for questioning on June 12. Shekhar was arrested after a brief interrogation by ED’s officials stretching for hours.

Kushwaha was also summoned previously by the ED to appear at the zonal office, however he didn’t turn up before the agency until Wednesday when he was eventually apprehended under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The economic intelligence agency has reportedly apprehended Kushwaha for allegedly conniving with jailed former revenue department sub-inspector, Bhanu Pratap Prasad and others in preparing a fake deed and tampering government records to acquire a 4.83-acre land worth Rs22.61 crores in Jharkhand’s capital.

According to the ED, the said land which couldn’t be sold or transferred to a person belonging to the general category was made saleable fraudulently by the accused through fake deeds and corresponding false entries in government records.

“It is evident from the facts that the accused is knowingly involved in the processes of activities connected with proceeds of crime in the form of land and money which are derived out of illegal activities i.e. preparation of fake deeds, committing forgery, falsifications and tampering with government records,” said ED before the court.

ED produced Kushwaha before a special PMLA court on Thursday and requested his custody to ascertain the proceed of crime generated while claiming that the accused is a part of the land scam syndicate which was briefly indulged in acquiring properties through means of preparing fake deeds and tampering government records.

Upon hearing both the parties, the special court has sent him in judicial custody for one day. He will produced before the court on Friday from where he is expected to be sent in ED’s remand.

Notably ED filed a supplementary chargesheet before the PMLA court against as many as 10 individuals in connection with its ongoing probe in the money laundering case linked to the alleged land scam on June 7.

In the chargesheet filed the central agency had named as many as 10 individuals including a staff of the revenue department, Manoj Kumar Yadav, Tapas Ghosh, Sanjit Kumar, Md Irshad, Priya Ranjan Sahay, Antu Tirkey, Vipin Singh, Irshad Akthar, Afsar ali, and Saddam Hussain.

ED, Ranchi has conducted searches in one of the cases of land scam being investigated under the provisions of PMLA, 2002 and arrested four accused persons namely Priya Ranjan Sahay, Irshad Akhtar, Antu Tirkey and Bipin Singh in case of Bhanu Pratap Prasad and Others. In addition,…

— ED (@dir_ed) April 18, 2024

Among the accused named in the chargesheet Sanjit Kumar and Tapas Ghosh are both employees of Kolkata based registry office were apprehended by ED along with Md Irshad, a staff of the Hazaribagh court on May 9. Further the agency had also nabbed Priya Ranjan Sahay, Irshad Akhtar, Antu Tirkey and Bipin Singh after raiding premises linked to them in April this year.

Notably ED had filed its first chargesheet in the case against former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren and four other on March 30. In the Chargesheet filed before the special PMLA court the economic intelligence agency had submitted that the accused were involved in acquiring, processing and concealing the proceeds of crime in the nature of an immovable property admeasuring 8.8 acres at Bariyatu, Ranchi.

ED, Ranchi has filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) against Hemant Soren & four othersin one of the cases of land scam being investigated under the provisions of PMLA, 2002, for acquiring, possessing and concealing the proceeds of crime in the nature of an immovable property…

— ED (@dir_ed) April 4, 2024

It is worth mentioning here that Hemant Soren was arrested by the agency in connection with the case on January 31. Soren is currently lodged at Birsa Munda Hotwar jail in judicial custody and has moved a regular bail petition before the Jharkhand High Court around a fortnight ago.

Soren had approached the High Court with the petition following his withdrawal of a petition from the Supreme Court on May 22 seeking interim relief. Earlier on Wednesday the ED through his council submitted before the High Court that Soren was instrumental in allegedly acquiring the land in Badgai region.

Read more at: Former CM Soren approaches Supreme Court over HC’s dismissal of his petition challenging arrest by ED

A day before ED’s latest submission in the court, Soren’s council Kapil Sibal had pleaded that his client was falsely implicated in the case and that this act does not constitute an offence under the PMLA for which his client is in jail.

Sibal during the hearing highlighted that even the allegations against his client, Soren were true they would constitute a civil issue of forcible eviction not a criminal matter.

Appearing for ED, additional solicitor general SV Raju while raising strong objection against the bail sought by Soren’s council, Sibal said that the agency has conducted independent surveys of the land in question and the caretaker had informed them that the land belongs to Hemant Soren.

Raju further pointed out that the ED has recovered several documents indicating that the land records were manipulated in favor of the Soren with the help of government employees who were helpful towards Soren.

Further the hearing on the matter continued on Thursday following which the High Court after hearing arguments of both ED’s and Soren’s council has reportedly secured its decision into the matter.