SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, May 16: Birsa Munda jail Superintendent Hamid Akhtar, who has been defying the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons since December last year despite the Special court’s order to hand over CCTV footages showing several high-profile accused persons enjoying all ‘luxuries’ in jail and influencing the witnesses, has finally run into the agency’s trap.
Though not involved in land or mining scam, Akhtar, according to sources, will now figure in the chargesheet to be filed by the ED following seizure of a CCTV footage that shows that power broker Prem Prakash held parley with suspended IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan on May 5. He will face the action under Section 3 of the PMLA Act.
The ED seized the CCTV footage on Monday after it raided the jail after getting permission from the PMLA court.
Now, the ED will also summon Akhtar again. The Jail Superintendent, who had been questioned on December 5 last year later defied the summons.
Prem Prakash was already in jail while the ED arrested Ranjan on May 4 for masterminding the multi-crore land scam in Ranchi using his official position and influence as deputy commissioner.
In the CCTV footage, Prem Prakash is seen entering the cell of Chhavi Ranjan covering his face at 6.40 PM and leaving at 7.36 PM on May 5. Under the jail manual, all the prisoners are sent back to their barracks after sunset and are supposed not to roam around thereafter.
For the ED, it was clinching evidence to prove a nexus between Ranjan and Prem Prakash as the former under the ED custody since May 7, during interrogation, has maintained that he did not know Prem Prakash or Amit Agarwal, allegedly another player in the whole scam.
The agency alleged it had definite information that the jail authorities had arranged a meeting of Chhavi Ranjan and Prem Prakash so that they hatch a conspiracy to hush up the case and destroy the evidence.
A senior ED official pointed out that the PMLA law clearly says that whosoever directly or indirectly attempts to indulge or knowingly assists or knowingly is a party or is actually involved in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and projecting it as untainted property shall be guilty of offence of money-laundering.
In fact, Hamid Akhtar has been under the scanner of the ED after he refused to give CCTV footage despite the PMLA court’s order in March. He had also not appeared, defying the ED summons in March citing a petition pending in the Jharkhand high court on the issue for his non-appearance.
He was accused of giving special treatment to the accused in the MGNREGA scam and money laundering cases lodged in the jail.
Notably, the ED is investigating the MNREGA scam, the illegal stone mining case and the cash for PIL case. Accused persons of these cases then included IAS officer Pooja Singhal, Jharkhand CM’s MLA representative Pankaj Mishra, Kolkata-based businessman Amit Agrawal (Now enlarged on bail), power broker Prem Prakash and one Bacchu Yadav among others.
The ED had information that these high-profile undertrials violated the jail manual inside the jail. The ED also strongly doubts that these high-profile accused influenced the ongoing probe. But the jail administration denied giving access to these CCTV stating that it would infringe on the privacy of jail inmates. The ED repeatedly approached the jail but the CCTV footage was not given.
Later, the special PMLA court passed a strong order against Superintendent of Birsa Munda Central Jail, Ranchi, stressing that he has not been cooperating with investigations related to money laundering as also defying the court’s order in which he has been directed to supply CCTV footage to the Enforcement Directorate.
“The Jail Superintendent, BMC Jail, Hotwar, Ranchi is directed to provide CCTV footage as required by the investigating officer (vide the summon date 21.10.2022) at once without any further delay. Any lapses on his part may attract legal consequences, not only for delay in compliance with the court order but also for other provisions of law relevant to his acts and omissions in the matter,”
The court had also directed the ED not to use the CCTV footage otherwise, except for investigation or evidence before the court. The judge also pointed out the attempt of the jailer to erase CCTV footage.
After the court ordered in favour of the ED, the administration moved the high court. Incidentally, Akhtar’s petition, according to sources, has not been listed so far on the grounds of some defects in it.