VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Jan. 5: The district mining officer of Sahibganj, Bibhuti Kumar, had illegally visited illegal stone mining accused Pankaj Mishra at RIMS when Mishra was under judicial custody. The ED suspects that Bibhuti Kumar having illegally and secretly met Pankaj Mishra can have no purpose other than possible destruction of evidence and seeking instructions on mining related matters.
Not only Bibhuti Kumar but the Deputy Commissioner of Sahibganj Ramniwas Yadav is also said to be under the scanner of the ED in the mining scam for some other reasons.
During the analysis of the CCTV footage of the RIMS paying ward, his presence was categorically spotted and he was identified. Bibhuti Kumar is seen walking to the cottage of Pankaj Mishra. As Sahibganj district is the hub of illegal mining controlled by Pankaj Mishra, investigation by the ED has revealed that Bibhuti Kumar as mining officer was equally responsible for irregularities and he acted on instruction of Pankaj Mishra.
However, the ED so far has not declared Bibhuti Kumar as an accused or suspect in the illegal mining case. But he is among three highly suspected district mining officers whose prosecution the ED has requested to the Jharkhand government. The ED is likely to summon Bibhuti Kumar and others to probe their alleged deep nexus with Pankaj Mishra for illegal mining.
Pankaj Mishra, belonging to Sahibganj district, is a senior JMM functionary and the MLA representative of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The ED arrested him in July last year during the course of investigation of Rs 1000 Crore mining scam. Within a fortnight of his arrest Pankaj Mishra was shifted to RIMS on July 27, 2022 owing to pancreatic problems.
ED accused Pankaj Mishra during continued stay at RIMS made and received a total of 300 phone calls to various persons including officials and certain highly placed and influential people. The ED nabbed his two associates Chandan Yadav and Suraj Pandit for allegedly providing him their mobile phones to Pankaj Mishra and he used to talk to different people. The ED claimed that Pankaj Mishra in judicial custody tried to hamper the money laundering probe against him. As per the jail manuals permission is required to meet an under trial. But Pankaj Mishra lodged at RIMS met several persons including Sahibganj DSP Rajendra Dubey, Bibhuti Kumar and many others. The ED recently summoned Rajendra Dubey and asked him to explain reasons for meeting an accused of a serious crime without permission. The ED claimed that the DSP assisted Pankaj Mishra in the money laundering.
