VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Sept 27: The Enforcement Directorate in its biggest ever raid to detect illegal mining in Jharkhand case has seized cash of more than Rs 5.34 crore from different suspects where the maximum recovery of Rs. 3.13 crore was made from one Hira Lal Bhagat. The ED had carried out raids on July 8 at as many as 21 locations in Sahibganj and the adjoining area against illegal mining accused Pankaj Mishra and others. Pankaj Mishra is the MLA representative of Hemant Soren and he is in judicial custody along with Bacchu Yadav in this case.
The ED has stated that all the suspects and accused had a common intention to carry out illegal stone mining in Sahibganj and Pankaj Mishra controlled these activities.
Well-placed sources said that they recovered 62,213 Indian currency notes of different denominations from the premises of Hira Bhagat totaling Rs 3.13 Crore. Other than Hira Lal Bhagat cash was recovered from the premises of Ved Prakash Khudania (Rs. 91.80 Lakh), Sonu Singh alias Vikram Pratap Singh (Rs. 44.12 Lakh), Pavitra Yadav (Rs 35 Lakh), Bhagwan Bhagat (Rs. 28.50 Lakh), Tinkal Kumar Bhagat (Rs. 15 Lakh), Krishna Sah (Rs. 5.50 Lakh) and Rs. 1. 44 Lakh from the premise of Nimai Chandra Shill.
The ED in its prosecution complaint has annexed a detailed report for the perusal of the court and stated that the seized cash amounts were part of the proceeds of the crime of illegal mining. But no cash was recovered from the premises of Pankaj Mishra, Bacchu Yadav and Dahu Yadav. Both Pankaj Mishra and Bacchu Yadav were arrested during the course of the investigation whereas Rajesh Yadav alias Dahu Yadav is traceless.
The ED in its prosecution complaint has stated that it froze as many as 51 bank accounts of suspects and accused persons containing Rs 13.32 crore cash. This includes four bank accounts of Pankaj Mishra containing Rs 83.98 lakh cash. The maximum accounts belong to Krishna Sao, his companies and the Hindu Joint family where approximately Rs 8 Crore cash was parked.
Besides, six bank accounts of Dahu Yadav (Rs. 10 Lakh), and three accounts of his two transport companies namely Singhwahini Transport and Rayadav Transport (Rs. 1.38 Crore) have been frozen. The ED froze accounts of Maa Durga Stone Works (Rs. 42 Lakh) and Bishnu Prasad Yadav (Rs. 47.19 Lakh) as well. It is revealed from the charge sheet of the ED that the accused persons had used several companies for parking and laundering proceeds of crime and accordingly froze the bank accounts of Nature HP Fuels, Krishna Kumar Saha & Sons, Hindustan Construction and some others.
