THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, August 21: Leader of Opposition and BJP state president Babulal Marandi has accused the Jharkhand government of deliberately weakening the probe into the alleged liquor scam.
In a strongly worded open letter addressed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Marandi raised concerns over the pace of investigation, procedural lapses, and what he described as a deliberate attempt to protect influential individuals.
Allegations of Laxity in Probe
In the letter, Marandi said that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) initially acted with urgency by questioning and arresting a senior officer in the case. However, he alleged that the same promptness has since disappeared.
According to him, the government’s failure to file a chargesheet within three months has enabled the accused to secure bail one after another. He also questioned the handling of interrogation records, claiming that statements of senior officers and other influential accused were not fully documented, leaving scope for selective interpretation.
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Doubts Over Government’s Knowledge
Marandi further questioned whether the delay and alleged irregularities were taking place with or without the knowledge of the Chief Minister. “I do not believe that any officer could dare to commit such a big fraud without your consent,” he wrote, adding that if the actions were being carried out knowingly, it would raise serious concerns about the government’s role.
The BJP leader also reminded Soren that he had earlier cautioned him about flaws in the state’s liquor policy and the possibility of a large-scale scam. He claimed that the lack of corrective action at that stage suggested that the irregularities were part of a larger conspiracy.
Claims of a Wider Network
According to Marandi, the liquor syndicate in question extends beyond Jharkhand to Raipur and Delhi, involving powerful networks of operators and officials. He alleged that “big deals” were struck to deliberately delay filing the chargesheet, with the understanding that such a delay would guarantee bail for the accused.
He stressed that such developments have shaken public confidence in the state’s ability to ensure impartial investigations into corruption cases.
Call for Independent Investigation
The Opposition leader demanded that the Chief Minister order strict action against officials responsible for what he termed a “deliberate weakening” of the case. Since Soren himself holds the ACB portfolio, Marandi argued that responsibility for the lapses cannot be overlooked.
Marandi urged the Chief Minister to hand over the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), arguing that only an independent probe could identify the real culprits and restore public trust. “The investigation should not be allowed to become a sham exercise where arrests are made only to eventually secure bail through procedural lapses,” he cautioned.