VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, May 3: Pakur-based businessman Sambhu Nandan Kumar has requested the district administration to provide him security after he was reportedly summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case related to Jharkhand Rural Development minister Alamgir Alam and Jharkhand Chief Minister’s representative Pankaj Mishra.
In the application submitted to Pakur Deputy Commissioner Varun Ranjan, the businessman said that he is being followed by suspected elements and he is being threatened. He said that all these started right after he returned to Pakur after attending the summon of the ED in Ranchi.
“I am terrified and my family fears an untoward incident in the future. I strongly doubt that strangers are watching me at the behest of well-known politicians and criminal elements. They can also kill me. Kindly provide me security cover so that I do my business fearlessly and contribute to the revenue generation of the government,” the application reads.
He further stated that he is vulnerable in front of powerful politician criminal elements and they can harm him and his family.
According to sources, the ED summoned him in April during the course of the examination of an FIR 85/2020 dated June 22, 2020 that Sambhu lodged at Barharwa police station in Pakur district against Alamgir Alam, Pankaj Mishra and others for assaulting him.
Sambhu was allegedly threatened for participating in the auction of Barharwa toll tax centre. They allegedly favoured a company ING Pvt Ltd and an audio of their conversation with Sambhu had become viral. Sambhu claimed that he was assaulted as he participated in the auction against the wishes of Alamgir Alam and Pankaj Mishra. Nevertheless, in the chargesheet Pakur police gave a clean chit to them.
But it is not clear whether it was only a routine inquiry by the ED or the agency has in fact registered a fresh case of money laundering on the basis of the said FIR 85/2020. Sambhu is considered a prime prospective witness in case the ED smells money laundering in the tendering process.
