Land Scam Case: ED Rejects IAS Chhavi Ranjan's Plea To Defer Summons, Asks Him To Appear Today
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has denied Jharkhand IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan's request to postpone his interrogation in a money laundering inquiry relating to an alleged land scam case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday rejected the IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan’s plea seeking two weeks’ time to appear before the agency in the alleged land scam case and asked him to join the investigation today, news agency ANI reported. A lawyer appeared before the federal probe agency in the state capital Ranchi on behalf of the IAS officer, seeking a two-week extension of time, but the investigating officer is said to have dismissed the plea and asked him to ensure the deposition by 4 p.m. (on Friday), according to sources. If Ranjan does not appear before the ED in Ranchi on Friday, the agency is anticipated to issue him a new summons, according to sources, PTI reported.
The agency had summoned him to appear before the agency for questioning after ED officials discovered significant falsification of documents on April 14. According to the central investigation agency, on April 13th, a raid was conducted at numerous sites throughout Jharkhand related to an IAS officer in connection with an alleged land scam case.
The ED had also conducted raids in West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand, including at his Ranchi house. According to reports, IAS Chhavi Ranjan exploited the Kolkata registration office for falsification in the Army land matter while working as Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi.
Jharkhand: ED rejects IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan’s plea to grant him two weeks' time to appear before the agency in an alleged land scam case and asks to appear for questioning today itself.
— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2023
The ED detained seven people in connection with a land fraud. On Friday, they appeared before a special PMLA court. The court placed them under judicial detention. Pradeep Bagchi, who was detained by the ED on Thursday night, claimed to be the real owner of 4.55 acres of land.
He also supplied documentation proving that his family acquired the land in 1932 and registered it at the Kolkata land registry office. Interestingly, the records refer to the state as West Bengal, but in 1932, it was just Bengal Province (the united Bengal). It was renamed West Bengal in 1947.
Similarly, the Postal Index Number Code has been referenced multiple times throughout the document, along with the addresses of the witnesses, seller, and purchaser. The PIN was first used in 1972. Bhojpur has been stated as a native district of one of the witnesses to the selling transaction at some point. Bhojpur, on the other hand, was founded in 1972.
The duplicate of the document was also reported to have been interpolated in the Kolkata register office's land records. The ED sent all such papers, as well as land registrations from the Kolkata registrar's office, for forensic testing over the course of the inquiry.
The test findings are expected in two or three days. According to the ED, the nexus sold a lot of land by faking paperwork. Even the legal owners are unaware that their property has been sold.
(With Inputs From Agencies)
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