SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 8: Enforcement Directorate (ED) teams on Tuesday morning launched simultaneous raids on the residences of the Dhanbad District Transport Officer (DTO), Ranchi Circle Officer (CO), a lawyer, and others in connection with land scam and extortion cases. The raids are based on an FIR filed at Pandra police station in Ranchi, according to official sources.
In Dhanbad, a large sum of cash was recovered from the residence of DTO Diwakar Prasad Dwivedi at Dev Vihar. Security personnel have cordoned off the apartment, preventing any entry or exit during the search.
Additionally, raids are also being conducted at the residences of Jai Kumar Ram, Prabhat Bhushan, Sanjeev Pandey, and Ravi in Ranchi.
Unconfirmed reports of cash recovery
Though reports indicate a substantial amount of cash was recovered during the raids, official confirmation is still pending. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities focused on uncovering more details related to the alleged land scam and extortion activities.
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Deal worth Rs 5.71 crore to manage ED case
The Dhanbad DTO, along with Ranchi’s Kanke and Namkum COs, has been accused of brokering a deal worth Rs 5.71 crores to influence the ED’s investigation into the land scam. According to sources, the deal was meant to ensure that their names would not appear in the ED’s chargesheet.
A land dealer, Sanjeev Kumar Pandey, filed a complaint at Ranchi’s Pandra police station, accusing lawyer Sujit Kumar of cheating him out of Rs 12 lakh under the pretence of helping him avoid legal consequences in the ED investigation.
Pandey alleges that Kumar promised to have his and his associates’ names removed from the chargesheet, but despite the payment, his name still appeared.
Dispute between lawyer and land dealer
After his name appeared in the ED chargesheet, Pandey requested his money back. In response, Sujit Kumar issued 54 cheques and handed over his car as collateral, also signing an agreement. However, tensions escalated between the two.
In a counterclaim, Sujit Kumar filed a kidnapping case against Sanjeev Pandey, alleging that Pandey and his associates kidnapped him and extorted Rs 12 lakh before releasing him.
Besides land dealer Sanjeev Pandey, CO Prabhat Bhushan, DTO Diwakar Prasad Dwivedi, and three others have been named as accused in the case.
