RANCHI/PATNA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested seven people, including a government offficer in connection with its ongoing money laundering investigation into a land grab case in Jharkhand. The arrests were made following raids conducted at 22 different locations in Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal, including the residences of an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, official sources said.
According to the ED officials, the seven arrested individuals are Afsar Ali, Imtiaz Ahmed, Pradeep Bagchi, Mohammad Saddam Hussain, Talha Khan, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, and Fayaz Khan.
Bhanu Pratap Prasad has been identified as a government official. All of them have been arrested under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Earlier, the ED had raided 22 places in Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal, including the hideouts of IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, who had previously served as the Deputy Commissioner in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.
The recent ED action has drawn the attention of political leaders in the region, with BJP leader Babulal Marandi calling on the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, to take action against the culprits involved in the case.
The action was taken under the provisions of the anti-money laundering law and the agency is looking at a clutch of alleged land grab cases, including defence land.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are yet to emerge. However, the arrests made by the ED are an indication of the agency’s efforts to crack down on corruption and money laundering activities in the country.