VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, July 8: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday launched a massive raid against Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s MLA representative Pankaj Mishra and others in the case related to a tender scam in Sahibganj district.
The raid is simultaneously being carried out at as many as 20 locations in Sahibganj town, Barhet which is the home constituency of the chief minister as well as Barharwa. According to information raid is being carried out at the residence of Pankaj Mishra, his business associates namely Dahu Yadav his brother Sunil Yadav, Bacchu Yadav, Raju Bhagat, Patru Singh, Twinkle Bhagat, Krishna Bhagat, Nimai Seal, Bhagwan Bhagat and Kanhaiya Khudania, Sonu Singh and Bhavesh Bhagat.
But Dahu Yadav could not be traced when the ED team reached his residence. He is said to be at his safe location either in diyara of Ganga or in Kamakhya. The ED team is said to be tracking a suspect who is said to have fled away along with huge cash towards the Gadwa Pahad area.
The ED took up the investigation of an FIR lodged by a businessman Shambhu Bhagat at Barharwa police station in Pakur district in June 2020.
Pankaj Mishra is the MLA representative of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The businessman Shambhu Nandan in the FIR alleged that Pankaj Mishra on the behest of rural development minister Alamgir Alam threatened him as he refused to obey his order not to participate in the Barharwa toll tax auction. He said that Pankaj Mishra used his own mobile phone as well as that of the minister to threaten him. But as he refused to withdraw and somehow participated in the auction he was assaulted. He said that Alamgir Alam wanted the auction in favour of his younger brother Amirul Alam. A fake company was allowed to participate in the auction to indirectly help the minister’s brother to get the tender.
He lodged an FIR at Barharwa police station on June 21 against Alamgir Alam, Pankaj Mishra and others under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (member of the unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 379 (to commit theft), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 504 (Intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. He also lodged FIR against Tapan Singh, Dilip Sah, Istequhar Khan, and Tejash Bhagat.
The ED recorded the statement of Sambhu Nandan on April 18 and examined whether it was a case of money laundering. As it found the matter true it lodged an FIR.
ED has impounded the mobile phone of Shambhu Nandan. This was the mobile phone that he had used during his conversation with Pankaj Mishra and Alamgir Alam. The mobile phone RMX1805 model has been sent to FSL to retrieve data.
The ED has secured CCTV footage between June 19 to June 22 of Barharwa Nagar Panchayat Office. There are a total of 18 CDs. The ED has impounded these materials under section 50 (5) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
This case was investigated by DSP Barharwa Pramod Mishra. He gave a clean chit to Pankaj Mishra and Alamgir Alam. The ED has also got the certified copy of the case from the Pakur district court.
