SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, Aug. 23: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids, which began early in the morning today at 29 locations linked to multi-crore liquor and land scamsters in Jharkhand continued till late in the evening.
The raids are being conducted in Ranchi, Deoghar, Dumka, Dhanbad, Jamtara and also West Bengal.
The main persons whose locations are being raided included liquor baron Jogendra Tiwari, his brother Amarendra Tiwari and Congress Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon’s (Congress) son Rohit Oraon.
Jogendra Tiwari, who was earlier close to senior BJP leaders, is said to be now breaking breads with several ruling party leaders.
Incidentally, several of the persons, whose premises are being raided are also linked to the BJP. For example, Amarnath Tekriwal happens to be brother of late BJP MLA of Godda Manohar Tekriwal.
Notably, Jogendra Tiwari had been under the scanner of the ED for quite some time, particularly after the Income Tax conducted raids last year and found financial irregularities by some persons and groups, including Jogendra Tiwari who obtained the license to distribute liquor across 24 districts in Jharkhand.
Jogendra Tiwari is primarily in the liquor business having business interest in hotel, sand and other industries also.
A PIL filed by one Umesh Kumar in this regard is still pending in the Jharkhand High Court.
The IT department, in its affidavit, in the high court had stated that slush money was pumped in liquor business by a group of some people. The IT department had also carried a survey in February last year against Tiwari and detected a tax evasion of Rs. 15 crores.
The Jharkhand government this year amended the liquor policy and took control of the liquor trade. But before this, the license of trade for districts was issued through auction. It was alleged that the powerful cartel dominated the business. These companies secured trading licenses of the majority of the districts.
The ED is investigating the case based on complaints of the retailer’s association and the PIL that the liquor trade has been monopolized by a powerful cartel that is also pumping and circulating unaccounted money in the liquor trade.
Notably, in July 2020, the state police had also raided several premises of Jogendra Tiwari for his alleged involvement in the illegal trade of liquor and sand.
List of persons/locations being raided by ED
- Aarti Ray Chowdhury d/o Kamla Prasad Roy W/o- Late Sharat Chandra Roy, Deoghar
- Ajay Kesari Deoghar
- Vivek Mishra s/o Nityanand Mishra , Deoghar
- Abhishek Jha s/o Late Gorelal Jha Deoghar
- Munnam Sanjay, s/o Chandra Narayan Bajpayee, Deoghar
- Jogendra Tiwari s/o Rameshwar Tiwari Deoghar
- Jogendra Tiwari, Bompas Town, Deoghar
- Vaibhav Sahabadi s/o Nirbhay Shahabadi, Giridih
- Amarnath Tekriwal, s/o Sitaram Tekriwal, Godda
- Barnali Roy w/o Arun Kumar Roy South, 24 Praganas, WB
- Manish Dalmia and Vijay Dalmia (director of M/s Manish Co Pvt Ltd) New Alipore, Kolkata
- Hari Krishna Chaudhary s/o Hanuman Das Chaudhary and Anil Chaudhary s/o Hari Krishna Chaudhary (director of M/s Vikram Financial Services Limited) Kolkata, West Bengal
- M/s Maihar Developers Vasundhara Garden, Bariatu, Morabadi, Ranchi
- Rohit Oraon s/o Rameshwar Oraon Bariatu, Ranchi
- Binay Kumar Singh s/o- Sadhusaran Singh, Belair Apartment, Ranchi
- Sarwan Kumar Jalan s/o Kedar Nath Jalan Upper Bazar, Ranchi
- Uma Shankar Singh s/o Rajendra Singh Chandni Chowk, Obaria Road, Hatia, Ranchi
- Jogendra Tiwari and M/s Santhal Pargana Builders Private Limited D-2, Harmu Housing Colony, Ranchi
- Vikash Kumar Agarwal s/o Sohan Lal Agarwal, Hazaribagh
- Ritesh Kumar Sharma s/o- Nathumal Sharma (partner of M/s Alokik Heights LLP) S/o- Nathumal Sharma, Grewal Apartment , Flat No. E-5, 5th Floor, Grewal Colony, Bekarbandh, Dhanbad
- Amrendra Tiwari s/o Rameshwar Tiwari Flat No. 402, Koshiki Radhika Regency Apartment Jharudih, Bekar Bandh, Dhanbad
- Amrendra Tiwari and Jogendra Tiwari
s/o Rameshwar Tiwari SBI Building, 2nd Floor , Station Road, Mihijam, Jamtara
23. Amrendra Tiwari and Jogendra Tiwari, both s/o Rameshwar Tiwari Station Road, Mihijam, Jamtara
24. Tanishq showroom Tata Chowk, Bhagalpur Road, Dumka
25. Prantosh Mishra s/o Bhawani Prasad Mishra Dangal Para, Hizla Road, Sonwadangal, Near Chotulal Temple, Dumka
26. Pappu Sharma Kumhar pada, Dumka
27. M/s Maihar Developers Kumrabad, Bijaypur, Dumka
28. M/s Saran Alcohol Private Limited Distillery Road, Gilanpara P.O. – Dumka
29. Liquor warehouse Khata No-91, Plot No-1053 , Mouza- Lakhikundi, Thana- Dumka (Muffasil), Distt- Dumka
30. M/s Tiwari Automobiles Private Limited
Airport Rd, Lakhikundi, Dumka
31. Anil Kumar Singh s/o Shaligram Singh
Kumhar para, Dumka
