THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, April 11: Director General of Police Anurag Gupta today held a high-level review of cases involving the manipulation and forgery of land records.
The meeting took place at the police headquarters with key officials, including Akhilesh Kumar Jha, Inspector General of Police for the Ranchi Zone; Sudarshan Mandal, Inspector General of the Crime Investigation Department; Chandan Kumar Sinha, Deputy Inspector General and Senior Superintendent of Police for Ranchi; and Deepak Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police, CID.
Gupta issued firm directives to expedite investigations using advanced digital forensics and technical experts. He stressed the need for fair, timely action and the formulation of a robust strategy to prevent future fraud.
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ED Unravels Multi-Crore Land Scam
Notably, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has unearthed extensive land scams across Ranchi, revealing fraudulent transactions involving senior bureaucrats and local businessmen. The ED has attached properties valued at over ₹74 crore, including a 4.55-acre plot in Bariatu and a 7.16-acre parcel in Bajra, both registered illegally using forged documents.
Among those arrested are IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan and businessman Amit Agrawal, currently in judicial custody. Fake documents were reportedly created in both Ranchi and Kolkata to falsify ownership records, facilitating the illegal transfer of prime land.
Ranchi’s Land Scam Legacy: Key Cases
Land scams are not new to Ranchi. In one notorious case, a one-acre plot on Cheshire Home Road was sold under a deed claiming a transaction of ₹1.78 crore—yet only ₹25 lakh changed hands. The rest was falsely recorded to legitimise the sale.
In another recent development, the ED provisionally attached three properties worth ₹161.64 crore belonging to businessman Bishnu Agrawal. Investigators found that forged papers and corrupt government officials played a key role in acquiring the land.
A Turning Point in Jharkhand’s Fight Against Land Fraud
With the police and ED working in tandem, the crackdown marks a turning point in Jharkhand’s efforts to cleanse its land administration. Authorities aim to ensure accountability and restore public trust by rooting out the networks behind these long-standing scams.
