VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, March 21: The death of Rakesh Ranjan (47) who was a prosecution witness in the Remdesivir black-marketing case has put the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a fix.
Rakesh Ranjan who ran a medicine shop was found lying in the pool of blood on the premise of his Mangalam Apartment at Pundag under Argora police station of Ranchi on the morning of March 20. He was spotted by security guards and neighbours. Doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Notably, he was approver in this case which the ED took up for investigation in December last year. The CID of Jharkhand Police is also investigating this case and submitted the charge sheet.
But the ED could not record his statement which could have been vital to go to the bottom of the case. During the second wave of the Covid 19 pandemic, Remdesivir, considered as life-saving medicine, was sold at an exorbitant price.
Jharkhand Police had arrested Rajiv Singh and Manish Kumar Sinha on the charge of black marketing of the medicine. The investigation revealed that the same was supplied by Rakesh Ranjan. The ED investigating the money laundering angle in Remdesivir black-marketing is not going to confine its investigation up to the seizure of the five vials of the medicine made from the possession of the accused. The ED has been asked to investigate the case in the larger aspect.
Nevertheless, the ED can use his statement during the trial that he made before the CID. But owing to the soddy investigation the CID carried out for which Jharkhand High court reprimanded it several times, the ED is not confident.
The money laundering probe is focused on whether Rajiv Singh was the only person involved in the racket and made a profit out of the illegal sale of this medicine. In April last year, the case of black marketing came to light after police arrested Rajiv Singh along with five vile of Remdesivir medicine along with some cash amounts. Jharkhand High Court which was hearing Covid 19 related PIL took suo moto cognizance and decided to monitor the investigation of the case.
The court was not pleased with the quality of the investigation that the CID carried out. The High Court questioned the CID as to on what ground it made Ranchi SP (Rural) Naushad Alam an approver of this case rather than the accused. The IPS officer is understood to have requested Rajiv Singh to arrange Remdesivir for a person named Guddu.
