LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi/Jamshedpur, April 26: Based on the information revealed by various land brokers and revenue officials, the ED today conducted raids at half a dozen premises of land brokers, contractors and realtors in Ranchi and Jamshedpur.
The ED, according to sources, has recovered several incriminating documents from their possession. The ED has recovered Rs 30 lakh from Ravi Singh Bhatia residence and Rs 10 lakh from Shekhar Kushwaha premises. The agency has also freezed 50 bank accounts of the persons raided today.
A source close to ED said that the house of Shekhar Kushwaha was raided at Gadi village in Jharkhand capital besides some other locations including Morhabadi, Ashok Nagar and Booty More in Ranchi and two places in Jamshedpur.
Another ED source supported the fact further saying the matter is related to sale of 4.83-acre land on Cheshire Home Road by making wrong documents.
Yet another ED source said a contractor Bipin Singh, who was being tracked by the ED from Noida, is on the radar.
“Singh left his house with his family members and household items before the ED team reached Singh’s house in Gadi village. Finally, the ED had to call flat owner Prabhat Pandey to seal his rented flat. Singh was already asked by the ED to surrender at the Delhi ED office by 10:30 am today and ask his family members to report at the Ranchi ED office. Bipin is the middleman in the land deal. Now it has become a challenge for the ED to get his clue.
Meanwhile, the ED raided Ravi Singh Bhatia’s office at Begunia Tower in Bishtupur – based Contractor’s area in Jamshedpur.
Sources said the ED team also reached his residence and continued their investigation for several hours.
The ED team also raided the residence of builder Shyam Singh, a resident of Goushala in Jugsalai.
Shyam Singh is also associated with the real estate business. He also owns a mall in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district.
According to sources, the ED team conducted raids in connection with IAS Chhavi Ranjan case.
The ED’s investigation has revealed that Ravi Singh Bhatia is also involved in the sale and purchase of land.
Notably, IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, ex-DC of Ranchi, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Ranchi on Monday for questioning in connection with its investigation into alleged illegal land deals.
Ranjan, is a 2011-batch officer of the Jharkhand cadre,
This is the second case in which a Jharkhand cadre IAS officer has come under the scanner of the ED.
Last year, the ED raided and arrested IAS officer Pooja Singhal in a money laundering case.
