The Enforcement Directorate has arrested five more persons in connection with a money laundering case allegedly involving JMM leader and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Four of the accused are Priya Ranjan Sahay, Irshad Akhtar, Antu Tirkey, and Bipin Singh. The ED has arrested another accused, Afsar Ali, on the strength of a production warrant and taken him into custody till April 22.
In this case, one Mohammed Saddam Hussain is already in ED custody till April 20. “All these six persons have been arrested for their role in forgery, tampering and fabrication of land records, thus changing the nature of lands which are designated as non-saleable under Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act (CNT Act), a legislation having the objective of protecting the land rights of tribal and marginalised communities,” said an official.
The agency alleged that during its investigation, active involvement of government officials of the Land Revenue department in Ranchi and Kolkata has also surfaced. “...some of the lands acquired through such falsification and forgery by the above stated accused persons are under illegal possession of Hemant Soren, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand,” it said.
The ED had earlier arrested Mr. Soren and revenue official Bhanu Pratap Prasad on the charge of acquiring, possessing, and concealing the “proceeds of crime in the nature of an immovable property measuring 8.8 acre at Bariyatu, Ranchi”. It also filed a prosecution complaint on March 30 against them and four others.
The agency is conducting the money laundering probe based on multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the police in Jharkhand and Kolkata. “Investigation revealed that a racket of land mafia is active in Jharkhand which is involved in tampering of the land records in Ranchi and Kolkata. Original land records of ownerships are either tampered or concealed to facilitate unlawful acquisition/possession/use of landed properties. Subsequently, on the basis of forged land records, such land parcels are sold to other persons,” the ED said.
The probe agency had earlier conducted 51 searches and nine surveys in such cases leading to seizure of evidence and about ₹1.25 crore in cash. Besides, ₹3.56 crore kept in bank accounts has been frozen.
In the land scam cases, the agency has so far provisionally attached assets worth about ₹266 crore and arrested 22 accused persons, including Indian Administrative Service officer Chhavi Ranjan. Three prosecution complaints have also been filed.
