LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, July 2: In a crucial development, the Ranchi zone of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday is learnt to have sent a report to the headquarters about the suspected association of the Birsa Munda Jail superintendent Hamid Akhtar with high profile accused of the money laundering cases. Notably, Hamid Akhtar turned up before the ED on Friday.
Well-placed sources dropped thick hints that the report contains several incriminating pieces of evidence which suggest Hamid Akhtar under a criminal conspiracy destroyed crucial electronic evidence against the money laundering accused besides he willfully helped the accused persons in the suppression of facts and the laundering.
Sources said that evidence secured against Hamid Akhtar over a period of time is sufficient to prosecute him. However, it is not clear whether an official sanction has been taken or awaited whether and when to book Hamid Akhtar.
This will land Hamid Akhtar in deep trouble who has long been ignoring the ED’s repeated requests to provide the CCTV footage of the jail. He was summoned several times by the agency. He either evaded summons or dragged the matter to thr court. Even if he appeared before the agency he did not cooperate and suppressed information.
The ED Ranchi zone is investigating a big ticket Rs 1000 Crore stone mining scam involving Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s MLA representative Pankaj Mishra, power broker Prem Prakash and others.
The ED is also investigating the MNREGA scam in which it arrested and charge-sheeted IAS Pooja Singhal. The army land scam is also being investigated by the ED in which arrested IAS Chhavi Ranjan, Kolkata-based businessman Amit Agrawal and others. There are several other high-profile cases. All these accused are lodged at Birsa Munda Jail.
Hamid Akhtar locked horns with the ED when the agency demanded the CCTV footage of inside the jail corresponding to the period May 2022 onward when Pooja Singhal was arrested. Later on, in July last year, Pankaj Mishra was also arrested. The ED credibly came to know such high-profile prisoners are extended undue facilities and unfettered access to communication devices, unauthorised meetings and many others. The ED alleged the jail authority for helping high-profile prisoners to interfere in the investigation.
Instead of sharing CCTV footage, these were allegedly destroyed. When questioned Hamid Akhtar excused that he could not understand which CCTV footage the ED demanded. Sources said that Birsa Munda Jail has become a meeting point for the accused to further hatch a criminal conspiracy.
It was evident from the fact when the ED raided Birsa jail premises and seized crucial CCTV footage which reveals jail administration arranged a meeting of Prem Prakash with IAS Chhavi Ranjan beyond the prescribed hours. Prem Prakash is accused of army and other land scams also.
