SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, May 10: The Enforcing Department (ED), probing the multi-crore land scam in Ranchi, will seek further extension of suspended IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan’s remand tomorrow.
The six-day remand of Ranjan, the ex-deputy commissioner of Ranchi, ends tomorrow.
Though Ranjan, during interrogation since May 7, has maintained studied silence over his nexus with power broker Prem Prakash and Kolkata-based businessman Amit Agarwal, ED sources said his further custody was necessary to connect several missing links regarding his role and take the investigation into the land scam to its logical conclusion.
The ED, after quizzing land brokers, realtors, and revenue officials following raids on 21 locations linked to Chhavi Ranjan on April 13, has gathered adequate documentary and digital evidence to nail the IAS officer in a court of law.
They have revealed how the former DC misused his official position to let the mafias grab the Army, government and private land. They have also revealed how much bribe and how it was paid to Chhavi Ranjan. The ED is now screening the bank accounts and properties of the suspended IAS officer, his relatives and associates.
The ED probe has revealed that a bribe amounting to Rs. 1 crore was paid by the land brokers to Ranjan through Prem Prakash for unblocking one plot of land at Bargain Mauja from the restricted list. Further, the probe also revealed every circle office paid a fixed amount of money ranging from Rs 2-2.5 lacs to Ranjan which was deposited to one of his dose confidants. There are 22 circle offices under Ranchi district.
The ED sources said Chhavi Ranjan cannot deny his nexus with Prem Prakash and Amit Agrawal and why he was following their instructions as there has been enough evidence to establish his links with them.
Sources said that evidence collected from the possession of Uday Shankar, a government employee posted in the Chief Minister’s office (CMO), have also given several leads and the agency is working on them to take the investigation further.
The sources said that interrogation of 13 persons, related with the transaction of 4.55 acres of Army land including the owner Jayant Karnad over the next five days till May 15, will help gather further evidence to prove how Chhavi Ranjan indulged into the scam.
The ED has already told the court that Chhavi Ranjan had conspired with power broker Prem Prakash and businessman Amit Kumar Agarwal to transfer 4.55 acres of Army land in Ranchi to M/s Jagatbandhu Tea Estate Pvt. Ltd. Agarwal happened to be one of the directors of the company.
Ranjan, a 2011 batch IAS officer was arrested by the ED on May 4. He was Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi from July 15, 2020, to July 11, 2022. The Jharkhand government has suspended him following his arrest.
Notably, Ranjan, had been posted in Ranchi even as he was already 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.