ED Conducts Raids Across 16 Sites in Bihar and Jharkhand Over 117 Acre Land Fraud
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Synopsis
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has executed searches at 16 locations in Jharkhand and Bihar linked to a money laundering investigation involving a significant land scam of 117 acres of forest land in Bokaro, uncovering serious irregularities in land transactions.
Key Takeaways
- ED conducted raids at 16 locations in Jharkhand and Bihar.
- The investigation is related to a 117-acre land scam.
- Initial probe revealed major irregularities by administrative officials.
- Involvement of the land mafia and Bokaro Steel Limited.
- Further investigations under the PMLA are ongoing.
Ranchi, April 22 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) executed searches at 16 locations within Jharkhand and Bihar on Tuesday, as part of an investigation into an alleged money laundering case tied to a significant land scam involving 117 acres of forest land in Bokaro.
The operations commenced early in the day, covering areas in Ranchi, Bokaro, and Ramgarh in Jharkhand, alongside several sites in Bihar.
This action is part of the ED’s continued inquiry into unlawful land transactions and the suspected laundering of proceeds from the buying and selling of forest land.
The case was first recorded at the Sector-12 police station in Bokaro earlier this year, involving the alleged illicit transfer and sale of approximately 117 acres of forest land. The initial investigation was conducted by the Jharkhand CID, which uncovered major irregularities.
The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Jharkhand Police is also investigating the 2022 forest land scam, which revealed that 74.38 acres of land belonging to the Forest Department in Bokaro were unlawfully allotted to a private company by administrative officials.
According to CID reports, the land mafia allegedly collaborated with certain personnel from Bokaro Steel Limited (BSL) to manipulate land records. It was additionally discovered that the questioned land had not been correctly transferred to the Forest Department by BSL, creating loopholes exploited by the accused for illegal dealings.
In light of these findings, the case was referred to the ED for further investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Sources suggest that the ED may summon and interrogate several individuals, including officials from the Forest Department and BSL, regarding the matter.
The agency is also scrutinizing financial trails to determine how the proceeds from the land transactions were laundered and who the principal beneficiaries were.
