SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, February 8: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today debunked Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan’s charge that former Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been kept in the dark basement of the ED’s zonal office, once owned by former minister Anosh Ekka.
Rajiv Ranjan stated in the Special (PMLA) court on Wednesday that Hemant Soren faced many problems staying in the ED office. “Even sunlight cannot reach there. There is no window in the basement. Therefore, air can hardly reach there,” the AG stated.
An ED official, however, told this writer that it is wrong to say so. “We are taking care of all his basic needs, including food and medicine,” he added.
“The ED has arrested 40 persons so far in different cases who were lodged in the same premises where Soren has been lodged during our custody,” he said.
Three-floor office
The official said that there are offices on all three floors, besides the basement in the House.
Adequate sunlight is not available
“Adequate sunlight is not available even in the chambers used by the Additional Director or Joint Directors. Still, we work there. We can’t help in this regard. We can’t provide such amenities that we don’t have or that Soren may avail of in a camp jail,” he pointed out.
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The official said that a person under custody must visit various rooms on different floors for investigation. “For example, the Investigating officer’s room is in the basement. And if a mobile phone is to be examined, this office is on the first floor,” he added.
Hemant Soren was arrested on January 31
Notably, the ED had arrested the then CM Hemant Soren in a money laundering case related to the land scam on January 31. The court sent him in the ED custody for five days on February 2. On Wednesday, the court extended the ED custody till February 12.
Where is ED’s zonal office?
The ED office moved to the present address, situated a stone’s throw away from the Birsa Munda airport in September 2021 after the agency confiscated it in a money laundering case.
Ekka, booked by the CBI and the ED, built his dream house worth Rs 2.23 crore out of disproportionate assets he had raised as a minister in the Madhu Koda cabinet from March 2005 to December 2008. He was awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment, and the ED confiscated his properties worth Rs 22.38 crore. This building is one of the properties raised illegally by him.
The ED has been running its office in a small rented house since 2013 at the Pepe compound of Ranchi.
Then, the Raghubar Das government agreed to provide a 5000 sq. foot on the fourth floor of the new exercise building on Kanke Road near the CM residence. However, the allotment was cancelled for administrative reasons.
