VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Dec. 6: It only took 27 minutes for the Sahibganj police to conclude a probe against Jharkhand Congress minister Alamgir Alam and Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s MLA representative Pankaj Mishra in the Barharwa toll plaza case.
And in the next 24 hours, Barharwa DSP Pramod Mishra supervised this case and gave a clean chit to them. This was disclosed during the hearing of the Criminal Writ petition 156/2020 on Tuesday filed by petitioner Shambhu Nandan Kumar who filed the complaint of the Barharwa toll plaza case. The matter was heard by the Court of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi of the Jharkhand High Court.
The petitioner had demanded security for him besides the CBI inquiry of his case. Earlier, in this case the High Court on July 12 had issued a notice to Alamgir Alam and Pankaj Mishra.
After hearing, the court on Tuesday put a stay on the further proceedings of this case by the Rajmahal court and posted the matter for hearing on December 22. As the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating this case as part of Rs 1000 crore illegal stone mining scam the high court has directed the ED to submit all the relevant documents of this case.
“We have brought this matter to the notice of the court that minister Alamgir Alam and Pankaj Mishra threatened Shambhu Nandan Kumar over phone with dire consequences if he participates in the auction of toll plaza. The police concluded the investigation in 27 minutes after the FIR was lodged, submitted a case supervision report in the next 24 hours and gave them a clean chit. The diary of this case running over 30 pages reveals the police concluded a probe against them in 27 minutes. The court has taken note of this grave misuse of political and police power,” said senior high court advocate Abhay Kumar Mishra who appeared on behalf of Shambhu Nandan Kumar.
Notably, the ED on Monday had questioned the investigating officer of this case Sharfuddin Khan who said that DSP Pramod Kumar Mishra had supervised the case in 24 hours and gave a clean chit to the minister and CM’s close aide.
Barharwa toll plaza case that brought troubles for Jharkhand CM
The ED is investigating the tender scam case based on the FIR lodged by Pakur based businessman Shambhu Nandan Prasad at the Barharwa Police station on 22th June 2020 in Sahibganj district. He had named the minister and Pankaj Mishra among the accused of the case.
On June 20, 2020 an auction took place for collection of toll tax on Barharwa road. It is alleged that Alamgir Alam wanted the auction in favour of IA Ingicons Pvt Limited, a company owned by his brother. He even called Shambhu Nandan Kumar not to participate in the auction. Later on, Pankaj Mishra allegedly made a call to Shambhu Nandan Kumar from the mobile phone of the minister and threatened him with dire consequences if he did not fall in line.
But as he refused to withdraw and somehow participated in the auction he was assaulted. Shambhu Nandan Kumar lodged an FIR at the Barharwa police station on June 21 against Alamgir Alam, Pankaj Mishra and others under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (member of the unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 379 (to commit theft), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 504 (Intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
