LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, Oct 25: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is seriously thinking to shift some of the undertrials of the money laundering case including Pankaj Mishra from Birsa Munda Central Jail to any other jail outside of Jharkhand, preferably Uttar Pradesh.
Insiders said that the ED would move a petition before the court to seek their transfer stating that these undertrials are repeatedly interfering in the investigation.
They are well-connected with the present Jharkhand government headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren and they are enjoying freedom and privileges beyond jail manuals. And they are interfering in the investigations.
Pankaj Mishra is the MLA representative of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the ED arrested him in the illegal stone mining case worth Rs 1000 Crore. He is currently lodged at the paying ward of RIMS for pancreatic problems.
Notably, days back the ED detained two personal staff of Pankaj Mishra named as Chandan Yadav and Suraj Pandit for illegally providing him with their mobile phone to talk to officials and private persons. Pankaj Mishra was giving verbal instructions to his close aides to forge evidence to counter money laundering charges. He is alleged to have given verbal instructions to the local administration of Sahibganj to harass Binod Jaiswal who is a witness against him.
The ED recorded statements of Chandan Yadav and Suraj Pandit who admitted having provided their mobile phones to Pankaj Mishra and further disclosed all such persons to whom Pankaj Mishra was regularly calling.
The ED is investigating three important cases of money laundering. In the MNREGA scam case, it arrested IAS Pooja Singhal and her chartered accountant Suman Kumar Singh. In the illegal stone mining case, the ED arrested Pankaj Mishra, powerbroker Prem Prakash and Bacchu Yadav. In the illegal mining case, the ED has also suspected the role of Kolkata-based businessman Amit Agrawal who was however arrested in the cash for PIL case.
