VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Oct 18: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is said to have sent notices to superintendent of Birsa Munda Central Jail Hamid Akthar and the police headquarter in the ongoing money laundering investigation against Amit Agrawal and powerbroker Prem Prakash.
The Lagatar Network published a news item on Monday ‘Birsa Munda jail verified signature of Amit Agrawal when he was under police custody of ED.’ Taking note of the fact that when cash for PIL accused Amit Agrawal was in the custody of the ED, the jail superintendent verified his signature on the vakalatnama dated October 12th when he was in the police custody. However, jail superintendent explained that he had verified Amit Agrawal’s signature on October 9 when he was at the jail for a brief period.
A number of high profile accused of ED in the illegal mining, cash for PIL and MNREGA scam are lodged at Birsa Munda Central Jail. This includes IAS Pooja Singhal, her chartered accountant Suman Kumar Singh, Pankaj Mishra who is the MLA representative of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, powerbroker Prem Prakash, alleged criminal Bacchu Yadav and Jharkhand High Court advocate Rajiv Kumar. The ED has inputs that these suspects are suspected to be using communication devices and are availing facilities beyond the jail manual. No wonder the ED may demand CCTV footage of the last couple of months and other documents to ascertain the facts.
Notice served to Jharkhand Police headquarter
During the raid at the residence of Prem Prakash, the ED seized two AK-47 police weapons and the ED has made it key evidence against Prem Prakash that he had the patronage of police, politicians and powerful persons.
The weapons were allotted to two cops Mukesh Kumar and Shyamal Horo deployed for the security of Jharkhand chief Minister Hemant Soren. Now the ED is said to have asked the Jharkhand Police headquarter to provide the detail of the in-charge of the security of the Chief Minister to ascertain that in what condition two cops were found to be illegally appointed for the service of a private person.
Prem Prakash is learnt to have confessed before ED that who else offered him security and hospitality and access to the power portal of Jharkhand.
It is alleged that two cops Mukesh Kumar and Shyamal Horo deployed for the security of Jharkhand chief Minister Hemant Soren were working as the bodyguard of Prem Prakash. It is said that they were doing this as per the instruction of senior officials. These cops even kept their weapons at the Ranchi residence of Prem Prakash which the ED seized during the raid on August 24.
The ED seized both weapons along with 60 bullets which will be used as an exhibit. The ED has asked Ranchi police to take necessary legal action. This has landed Ranchi police in a dilemma as officials are worried that the episode will open a can of worms that will sting many.
