LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, March 14: Journalist Ravindra Nath Tiwari has claimed before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that he had met illegal stone mining accused Pankaj Mishra during judicial custody in order to expose his corruption.
Tiwari is the editor of web newspaper Bharat Varta and he met Pankaj Mishra at the RIMS paying ward where the latter was lodged for treatment in judicial custody.
During questioning, Tiwari produced an article related to illegal stone mining which he had published in his newspaper. He said that he went there as a journalist and his whole purpose was to present the correct facts of the illegal stone mining.
He said that he also heard that Pankaj Mishra frequently meets people at the paying ward hence he decided to check this fact also whether or not the allegations are true.
The ED, investigating an illegal stone mining scam to the tune of Rs 1000 crore, arrested Pankaj Mishra as a chief conspirator. He is the MLA representative of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. It was alleged that he illegally met various people at the paying ward and regularly made phone calls.
The ED directed RIMS to produce CCTV footage of the RIMS paying ward. In one of the footage Ravindra Nath Tiwari was spotted following which the ED summoned him. Ravindra Nath Tiwari said that he went to the paying ward on his own to meet Pankaj Mishra.
