SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, May 5: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said that the then Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan had conspired with power broker Prem Prakash and businessman Amit Kumar Agrawal to transfer 4.55 acres of Army land in Ranchi to M/s Jagatbandhu Tea Estate Pvt. Ltd.
Army Land
The ED investigation has revealed that there was an ongoing dispute regarding the possession of this property between Army and one of the present claimants Jayant Karnad (family member of BM Laxman Rao). “Jayant Karnad had some favourable orders from the court regarding possession of the above property. The accused persons namely Afshar Ali, Pradip Bagchi and his accomplices prepared fake deed from the office of the Registrar of Assurances, Kolkata and in connivance with Chhavi Ranjan, Prem Prakash and Amit Kumar Agarwal hatched a conspiracy for registering the property in name of M/s Jagatbandhu Tea Estate Pvt. Ltd. a beneficially owned company by Amit Kumar Agarwal.
Prem Prakash has already been arrested by the ED and is presently languishing in Judicial Custody in an illegal mining case.
Ranjan, arrested by the ED on Wednesday, was Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi from July 15, 2020, to July 11, 2022.
A 2011 batch IAS officer, Chhavi Ranjan is currently posted at the State Department of Social Welfare.
Seeking 10-day remand of Ranjan, the ED, in its petition to the court, said that he knowingly assisted these persons to acquire the above property by deliberately misusing his official position and overlooking the records available with his office.
The ED probe reveals that Chhavi Ranjan facilitated Prem Prakash & Amit Kumar Agarwal in acquiring properties deceitfully. “He is one of the associates of Amit Kumar Agarwal. The CBI, New Delhi has lodged an FIR against Amit Kumar Agarwal and others for conspiracy to malign the image of judiciary and other government officials. In the said FIR, the CBI
has also enquired and found that Chhavi Ranjan tried to influence Rajeev Kumar at the behest of Amit Kumar Agarwal,” the ED added.
Bribe for unblocking one plot of land at Bargain
The ED probe has revealed that a bribe amounting to Rs. 1 crore was paid by the land brokers arrested earlier to Ranjan through Prem Prakash for unblocking one plot of land at Bargain Mauja from the restricted list. Further, it is also revealed that a fixed amount of money ranging from 2-2.5 lacs was paid from Circle Offices to Ranjan which was deposited to one of his dose confidants.
Goa trip for Chesire Home road land
“In furtherance of this conspiracy, Chhavi Ranjan had also verbally directed the Circle officer, Manoj Kumar to do mutation of one property of 1 acre at Chesire home road in name of Bishnu Agarwal and his wife Anushree Agarwal although there were existing disputes pending before the Circle office. During the course of earlier searches, a mobile phone of Bishnu Kumar Agarwal, who owns Nucleus mall in Ranchi, was seized. The forensic scrutiny of the said mobile phone has revealed that he has facilitated Chhavi Ranjan in arranging tours to Goa. It is revealed that Bishnu Kumar Agarwal arranged the stays and food of the couple in Taj Fort, Aguada, Goa. The arrangements were made through a travel agent in order to conceal the manner of booking and the payment for this booking was paid in cash by one of the staff of Bishnu Kumar Agarwal to a travel agent in Delhi. This establishes a quid pro quo between Bishnu Kumar Agarwal and Chhavi Ranjan, the then D.C, Ranchi. Enquiries have also revealed that Chhavi Ranjan has also facilitated Bishnu Kumar Agarwal in acquiring one non-saleable land at Pugru Mouza, Namkum, Ranchi for which certain enquiries have also been ordered by the state government,” the ED has stated in its petition.
Dummy owner for 7.16 acres in Hehal
During the ED investigation, a similar nature of forgery in registration of another property having area about 7.16 acres in Hehal, Ranchi was committed. On the basis of a fake deed the above land was mutated in name of one Binod Singh. Investigation reveals that the said Binod Singh is a dummy owner who was under influence of some brokers. Immediately after mutation, the above property was registered in the name of Shyam Singh and Ravi Singh Bhatia for a consideration amount of approximately Rs. 15,10,76,000 although the government value of this property was Rs. 29,88,93,800. Even out of the undervalued sum of Rs. 15,10,76,000 only a sum of Rs. 3.45 crores (approx.) has been paid for registration of the property through several cheques/transfers. Although the claim of Binod Singh was previously turned down by the C.O and LRDC, in the year 2021. Ranjan, the then D.C, again misused his official position and allowed mutation in name of the said Binod Singh. Even the earlier Jamabandi of this land was cancelled by Ranjan which existed in the name of the Sahu family (in the name of heirs of Malgovind Sahu). The rent (lagaan) of this property was allowed to be collectively paid for 82 years in the name of Binod Singh and mutation was done by overlooking all the records which negated the claim of Binod Singh.
The ED has said that Chhavi Ranjan while working as the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi misused his official position and capacity of a public servant and extended undue benefits to several parties for corresponding gain to himself which he has been concealing. He has facilitated private persons for committing fraud. Chhavi Ranjan has also remained non-co-operative and has concealed facts regarding his involvement, the ED added.