VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, July 8: Pankaj Mishra, the MLA representative of the Chief Minister Hemant Soren is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the tender scam in which he is an accused.
“Pankaj Mishra has neither been detained nor arrested but he is being questioned by the ED as there is some incriminating evidence of money laundering against him. There are unusual and high-value transactions made from his bank accounts and these are needed to be corroborated. Raids are going on,” sources in the ED confided about his questioning.
But the sources refused to reveal at which branch of the ED Pankaj Mishra is being questioned. But it is widely believed that he is being questioned at the Delhi branch of the ED.
Back to Sahibganj where raids are going on against Pankaj Mishra and his associates, as many as 19 deeds and other government documents have been recovered. It has been disclosed during the raid against Pankaj Mishra and his associates that a vast chunk of land on both sides of river Ganga — in Sahibganj in Jharkhand and Katihar in Bihar — has been purchased where a bridge is being constructed.
Relying upon the initial reports, ED sources said that some cash was also recovered from the premises of the suspect. The final figure will be available once the raid concludes. But it is believed that the initial recovery of cash is the tune of nearly Rs Two Crore.
Dahu Yadav, owner of Singhwahini Transport is another key associate of Pankaj Mishra whose premises have been raided by the ED. ED officials found an iron locker mounted in the wall. According to the report, mechanics were called to open the lock. Dahu Yadav is said to be in Kamakhya to perform some rituals. The ED team searched the Neelkothi premise of Sonu Singh. Initially, his private guards objected to ED officials searching the house.
Notably, the ED on Friday carried out raids at as many as 20 locations in Sahibganj town, Barharwa and Barhet. Other than Pankaj Mishra, Dahu Yadav and Sonu Singh raids were carried out against Sunil Yadav, Bacchu Yadav, Raju Bhagat, Patru Singh, Twinkle Bhagat, Krishna Sao, Nimai Seal, Subroto Pal, Bhagwan Bhagat, Kanhaiya Khudania and Sanjay Diwan.
