THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, February 3: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Baragain Revenue Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad, who was part of a syndicate involved in corrupt practices of acquiring properties forcefully as well as based on false deeds, falsification of government records, tampering with original revenue documents, etc.
Sources said Bhanu Pratap is already in jail in another land fraud case and now has been arrested in the case in which the ED has arrested former Chief Minister Hemant Soren. He is the prime accused in the case.
According to the ED, Bhanu Pratap assisted Soren in illegally acquiring properties, including 8.5 acres of land in Bariatu.
The court will decide on handing him over to the ED for custodial interrogation on Monday.
Role of Revenue Inspector Bhanu Pratap
The ED, during an investigation in another case related to the fraudulent acquisition of the Ministry of Defence land, having an area of 4.55 acres at Morabadi, Ranchi, found that Revenue Inspector, Bargain, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, was part of a syndicate involved in corrupt practices of acquiring properties forcefully as well as based on false deeds, falsification of government records, tampering with original revenue documents, etc.
It raided his premises on February 9 last year; it found that Bhanu Pratap Prasad was the custodian of several original registers in which the land records (particularly ownership details) were falsified on the instance of others and for mutual benefit and were concealed by him.
It found that Bhanu Pratap Prasad was involved in various corrupt practices. It had been a party with several persons in their activities linked to the fraudulent acquisition of properties. After the above-stated survey, he concealed all registers at his rented premises. During searches on April 13, 2023, 11 trunks of voluminous property documents and 17 original registers were seized from his possession.
Bhanu Pratap Prasad and six other members of this land-grabbing syndicate were arrested on 14.04.2023 for their involvement in illegal activities.
The ED seized digital evidence from his mobile phone to show how he was involved in hatching conspiracies with other persons, including Hemant Soren, to acquire properties illegally.
