VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Jan 23: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned Sahibganj DC Ramniwas Yadav for seven hours on whether or not he was aware of the illegal stone mining scam in his district worth Rs. 1000 Crore which the agency is investigating.
Unsatisfied with his answer as he sought additional 10 days’ time to place the correct fact, the ED asked him to come again for questioning on February 6.
ED questions about role and responsibility of DC to stop illegal mining
Ramniwas Yadav turned up before the Ranchi zonal office of the ED for his questioning. Well-placed sources confided that the ED asked him whether he was aware that as per the statutory order of the government of Jharkhand in 2010 and 2019 by which the DC and SP of the concerned district are solely responsible for preventing illegal mining, transportation and usages of all kinds of mineral. In the light of the above whether he discharged his duties.
2015 batch IAS officer Ramniwas Yadav joined as Deputy Commissioner of Sahibganj in October 2020. It is alleged that the maximum illegal stone mining and transportation took place during his regime. The ED which is investigating the illegal mining has stated that the scam is worth over Rs. 1000 Crore involving mafias, politicians, officials, businessmen and others.
Ramniwas Yadav is the first serving IAS officer who has been summoned by the federal anti-money laundering agency. Prior to this, the ED on November 18 last year had grilled Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren about the illegal stone mining in Sahibganj. The Chief Minister is learnt to have passed the buck on local officials, including Ramniwas Yadav.
The ED in Rs. 1000 Crore illegal mining case filed its first chargesheet against Pankaj Mishra (MLA representative of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren), power broker Prem Prakash and one Bacchu Yadav. The ED claimed that rampant illegal mining took place in Sahibganj and stone chips and boulders were illegally transported through road and via rail.
ED alleges Sahibganj DC shared confidential cargo accident report with Pankaj Mishra
The ED asked him whether or not he gave Pankaj Mishra access to that confidential inquiry report of cargo ship accident in the river Ganga in March last year which he had submitted to Santhal Pargana commissioner Chandra Mohan Kashyap. The DC denied the allegation and said that he never shared any report with anyone. The ED asked whether he was aware that Pankaj Mishra had called the commissioner and insisted him not to accept whatsoever the report the DC has submitted and not make any further inquiry into the matter. The DC denied having any knowledge of any such conversation of Pankaj Mishra with the commissioner.
The Santhal Pargana commissioner had sought a report from the Sahibganj DC into the matter after a cargo ship illegally carrying illegally mined stone chips met with an accident in March last year. But the commissioner did not find the report factual hence he sought some clarifications from the Sahibganj DC.
The ED has alleged that the DC also shared details of the additional queries made by the commissioner.
Investigation revealed that Pankaj Mishra had made a phone call to Santhal Pargana commissioner on June 2nd last year from his mobile number 9835933904 and insisted the commissioner not to make any further inquiry.
In his conversation, Pankaj Mishra clearly told the Commissioner that he is operating the ferries. He further insisted the commissioner not to pursue the reports of the DC of Sahibganj and seek further clarification which was forwarded to him.
The ED asked Ramniwas Yadav why he suppressed the fact and stated that the said cargo had operated in the day. And whether or not he was aware of the illegal operation of cargo ships by Pankaj Mishra, Dahu Yadav, Bacchu Yadav and others for the purpose of illegal transportation of stone chips and boulders to Bihar and other places via river Ganga.
DC acted on instruction of political masters to harass witnesses of ED
During investigation, the ED recorded a number of telephonic conversations of Pankaj Mishra with several officials, political and private persons. In some of the conversations including with Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu (Jharkhand CM’s media advisor) Pankaj Mishra is heard asking him to settle scores against his rivals. Sahibganj-based stone miner Prakash Chandra Yadav was arrested and later on he was booked under Jharkhand Crime Control Act. Prakash Chandra Yadav’s alias Mungeri Yadav’s son Rajhansh Yadav is a witness of the ED against Pankaj Mishra, Dahu Yadav, Bacchu Yadav and others. Another Ashok Yadav was also booked under CCA.
The ED asked him that if he apprehended a gang war between Prakash Chandra Yadav’s and Dahu Yadav (a criminal wanted by ED in illegal mining case) then why he did not initiate action against Dahu Yadav and why action was taken against those who are either prosecution witness or their relative.
