VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, July 21: Pankaj Mishra’s close associates and money laundering suspects Dahu Yadav and Bacchu Yadav have gone incommunicado and disappeared from the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Both of them are not available at their addresses in Sahibganj and the ED failed to contact them. The ED wants to confront and cross-question them with Pankaj Mishra who is on six days police remand of the ED. Sources said that both have revealed many top secrets about illegal mining and the involvement of Pankaj Mishra. But it seems that they are avoiding their face-to-face questioning with Pankaj Mishra.
The ED began questioning Dahu Yadav from July 14 onward till July 18. But in the morning of July 19, he sent a representation to ED through his lawyer Shashikant Jaiswal that he needs to rush to Sahibganj owing to the sudden illness of his mother. Notably, Pankaj Mishra appeared before the ED on July 19 and he was arrested in the evening. Bacchu Yadav was questioned along with Dahu Yadav. They probably feared their arrest along with Pankaj Mishra and were said to have left Ranchi to some unknown locations.
Insiders said that Dahu during interrogation said that he had little or no involvement in the illegal stone mining in Sahibganj and illegal transportation. Pankaj Mishra is referred to as Baba in Sahibganj as a mark of respect and authority. He blamed Pankaj Mishra for controlling illegal mining in the district. He claimed that Pankaj Mishra often forced him to obey his commands and he had to pay rangdari to Pankaj Mishra. Insiders said that Dahu tried to convince his interrogators that he may be a criminal but he never indulged in cheap kinds of things.
Bacchu Yadav also spoke against Pankaj Mishra. He said that only Pankaj Mishra was involved in the illegal stone mining and he as a stone crusher owner had to pay rangdari to Pankaj Mishra.