Jharkhand HC asks ED whether its report on conspiracy to frame agency officials can be shared

Ranchi, Nov 23 (PTI) The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) whether the agency would share its report on the alleged conspiracy to frame agency officials in false cases by a few Birsa Munda jail inmates with state government officials.

Taking note of allegations that attempts were being made by Birsa Munda jail inmates here to frame ED officials in false cases, the HC on November 8 had ordered the probe agency to conduct an inquiry into the matter and furnish a report in a sealed cover.

After the ED furnished the report in a sealed cover, a division bench of Chief Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra and Justice Ananda Sen went through it and returned it back to the counsel of the agency and asked him whether the report can be shared with state government authorities.

The case will again be heard on December 15 on which date the ED will inform the court about its decision to share the report with the government agencies. The confidential report is very sensitive as it contains investigation and conclusion of the ED into allegations of its officers being trapped in false cases, as per the agency.

A number of accused arrested by the federal probe agency in an alleged land scam linked a money laundering case in Jharkhand are lodged in the Birsa Munda jail.

On November 3, the ED had conducted searches in Ranchi jail following inputs that a 'conspiracy' was being hatched there to influence witnesses and destroy evidence in an alleged land scam linked a money laundering case in Jharkhand, official sources had said.

Following inputs of a 'conspiracy' being hatched by certain arrested local musclemen to influence witnesses, to harm ED officials and tamper or destroy evidence, a search had been launched by agency officials along with jail staff, the sources had said.

Based on revelation of documents and other evidence collected after the raid conducted in the jail, the ED summoned three jail officials for questioning in the matter. Birsa Munda Central Jail superintendent Hamid Akhtar, jailor Naseem and head clerk Danish had been asked by the agency to appear in person for ascertaining more facts in the matter, sources had said.

The agency has arrested about 14-15 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, who had earlier served as the director of the state social welfare department and the deputy commissioner of Ranchi. PTI CORR NAM NAM MNB