ED raids in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar linked to IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], April 13 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted a raid at multiple locations across Jharkhand linked to IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan in connection with a land scam case, according to the central probe agency.

ED also conducted raids at multiple locations in West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand, including at his residence in Ranchi.
Two locations in West Bengal, one in Bihar and the rest in Jamshedpur and Ranchi, ED added.

Ranjan a 2011 batch IAS officer has served as the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi and is currently posted at the State Department of social welfare.

Meanwhile, on April 10, a Special PMLA Court in Ranchi framed charges against suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal and others in a money laundering case.

In May, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds and other charges.

She was the second arrest in this case as ED already arrested Chartered Accountant Suman Kumar on May 7. ED recovered Rs 17.51 crore from the premises of Kumar and Rs 1.8 crore from Pulse Hospital.

Singhal was arrested after ED got credible evidence of her connection with CA Suman Kumar to frame the charges.

Pooja Singhal was the secretary of the Department of Mines and Geology and the Managing Director of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (JSMDC).

In March this year, IAS officer Rajiv Arun Ekka, who was previously principal secretary to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, had sought time to appear before ED.

The ED had summoned Ekka to join its probe on March 15, in connection with a purported video in which the IAS officer is was seen signing documents at the premises of a person is under scanner in the case related to the arrest of IAS officer Pooja Singhal.

Ekka, who also held additional charge of Principal Secretary, Home, was transferred as the Principal Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) levelled serious allegations against him.

The Jharkhand government had constituted a one-member ‘Commision of Inquiry’ and appointed former chief justice Vinod Kumar Gupta to conduct an inquiry pertaining to the video involving Rajiv Arun Ekka. The video was shared widely on social media.