LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, Feb 28: Vimal Kumar, the security in-charge of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is yet to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today against the summon issued to him for questioning in the recovery of police weapons from the residence of a power broker Prem Prakash.
As per the schedule, he was supposed to join his questioning at 11 AM. Well-placed sources said that the ED has not received any formal or informal communication from Vimal Kumar about whether he is coming or not.
Sources said that the agency however would wait for the officer to come till working hours. But if he doesn’t turn up, he will be the third officer of Jharkhand Police who would skip the summon of the agency.
Earlier, the ED had summoned the then Sahibganj DSP Pramod Mishra to record his statement in the Barharwa toll tax case. The state government filed a petition before the Supreme Court and later on before the Jharkhand High Court challenging jurisdiction of the ED to examine any investigating officer of any case.
In the Jharkhand Congress MLA cash case, the ED had summoned the officer in charge of Argora police station Binod Kumar Singh who had lodged a Zero FIR against some Congress MLAs on the basis of a written complaint of the Congress MLA Jaimangal Singh.
Binod Kumar Singh also filed a writ petition before the Jharkhand High Court challenging the authority of the ED.
But the case of Vimal Kumar is different. The ED wants to record his statement as 2 AK 47 weapons were recovered from the house of Prem Prakash which were allotted to two cops who are deployed in the CM security. It is alleged that both the cops were bodyguarding Prem Prakash on the instruction of their senior officials.
The issue of the illegal deployment of two armed cops as bodyguards of illegal mining accused Prem Prakash has put the state police in trouble as Prem Prakash is an accused in the illegal stone mining case.
Two AK 47 rifles were seized from the rented premise of Prem Prakash at Harmu Housing Colony in Ranchi on August 24th last year during the raid. As per the seizure report, both weapons bearing registration No. KT-48-5633 and Butt no. RNC-210 and KP 51-4144 and Butt No. RNC-242 respectively along with 60 rounds were found.
The weapons were issued to constables Mukesh Kumar and Shyamal Horo. Both the constables during their questioning have accepted that they were deployed at the CM security.
The ED claimed that they were deployed for the security of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. But they were doing duty for Prem Prakash on the instruction of a senior official.
On October 18 last year, the ED summoned the SP (Security) of the Special Branch to explain how these cops of the CM security were doing their duty as the bodyguard of Prem Prakash. The SP (Security) disowned the cops and replied that the matter was not concerned with CM security.
Both the cops placed under suspension have told the ED that they have been made a scapegoat as they were obeying the orders of their seniors. Ranchi police claimed that both cops were returning from their duty along with weapons when they were caught in the rain.
Ranchi police said that they were acquainted with an employee of Prem Prakash hence they kept their weapons here for safety. On the next day when they went to Prem Prakash’s house to collect their rifles, they found the ED team raiding the premises.
The ED in the chargesheet has maintained that Prem Prakash was so influential that he was allotted cops out of the CM security unofficially which he used for the purpose of illegal activities.
