VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, May 23: Ranchi DC Chhavi Ranjan is understood to have informed the Jharkhand High Court through an affidavit that he is an accused in a criminal case and the matter is pending before the special court of the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Hazaribagh. The DC has also said that he filed a discharge petition before the court and the charges against him are yet to be framed and the trial is yet to commence.
He has said that he is accused in Vigilance Case No. 76 of 2015 corresponding to Vigilance Case No. 01 of 2016. The DC filed this personal affidavit during the course of the hearing of the PIL 727/2022 after he was directed by the Jharkhand High Court to explain whether or not he is an accused in a criminal case and booked under the provision of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court gave him direction on May 19 and further posted the matter for hearing on May 24.
This PIL is related to the allotment of a stone mining lease to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren at Angara in Ranchi last year. Chhavi Ranjan filed the affidavit on behalf of the Jharkhand government on the ground that he had allotted the mining lease. The court on this slammed him for filing an affidavit in a casual manner and said that he is not a competent authority to file an affidavit. The court further pointed out that he is an accused in a case being prosecuted by the state. Hence, he can’t file an affidavit on behalf of the state.
The Ranchi DC is facing investigation for allegedly cutting six forest trees in 2015 at his official residence when he was DC of Koderma. An FIR 18/2015 was lodged at Markaccho police station and the case was transferred to the Vigilance Bureau. These were century-old costly trees that were allegedly cut on his instruction for personal use. In this case, he was granted anticipatory bail by the High Court.
