VIJAY DEO JHA
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday detained Prem Prakash whose residences the agency raided in connection with an ongoing money laundering case against IAS Pooja Singhal.
It is not clear, however, whether he was picked by the agency or himself turned up before the ED. It is said that he himself came to the ED office while the raid was going on. The ED raided his house at Argora Bypass and Harmu locality.
As neither Prem Prakash nor any of his family members were present, the ED officials removed the lock of his flat at Vasundhara Enclave at Argora Bypass in presence of the magistrate. Prem Prakash is said to be closely connected with several bureaucrats and powerful politicians of the present government. He apparently feared that he was going to be the focal point of the money laundering probe.
Politically well-connected and known to have a good lesioning capability, Prem Prakash remained influential for some time in the previous government also which was headed by BJP’s Raghubar Das.
Prem Prakash left Ranchi a couple of days back and was said to be in Jamshedpur. Well-placed sources claimed that he even tried to contact a senior leader from the opposition to save his skin from the ongoing probe. But he was rebuked and returned.
Sources said that a couple of days back a former BJP leader engaged in some kind of mining works.
