VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Dec 5: Vijay Hansda, a witness of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Pankaj Mishra in an illegal mining case has told the agency that Sahibganj police had threatened him for lodging a complaint against Pankaj Mishra and he was later implicated in a false criminal case.
Vijay Hansda currently lodged at Sahibganj jail told this to the ED during his questioning. He also told the ED that he wanted to continue his case against Pankaj Mishra and others whom he had alleged for carrying illegal mining.
District police arrested him last month along with his son Manoj Hansda under sections of the IPC and the Arms Act for allegedly threatening villagers. Police claimed to have recovered fire weapons and some bullets from their possession. Earlier, Vijay Hansda had lodged a court complaint against Pankaj Mishra for allegedly carrying illegal mining at Nimbu Pahad. Pankaj Mishra is the MLA representative of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Well-placed sources confided that during questioning Vijay Hansda claimed that he was threatened by the office of the superintendent of police of Sahibganj for daring to lodge a complaint against Pankaj Mishra. Vijay Hansda claimed before his arrest in the arms act case he was forcibly taken by the police. Later on he came to know about his arrest in a criminal case.
Notably, Vijay Hansda had lodged an online FIR against Pankaj Mishra and others for assaulting and abusing him when he protested illegal mining done by them. But when the FIR was not registered by the police, he approached Rajmahal court which on July 7 further directed the local police station. But the FIR was not taken-up and in the meantime Sahibganj police arrested him in a separate case.
Lately when questions were raised on the intention of the local police Dumka range DIG claimed that Vijay Hansda in writing had withdrawn the complaint as false hence the FIR was not lodged despite the court order. But within a couple of days Vijay Hansda issued a written clarification and denied that he withdrew his complaint. He said police had forcefully taken his signature on plain papers and the same were used against him.
