Ranchi, Nov 13 (NationPress) The President of the Jharkhand BJP and Leader of the Opposition, Babulal Marandi, vehemently criticized Chief Minister Hemant Soren and former Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta on Thursday, asserting that a collusion exists between them in relation to illegal mining, corruption, and extortion activities within the state.

During a press conference held at the BJP state headquarters, Marandi claimed that under Hemant Soren's administration, Jharkhand has transformed into a nexus of illegal appointments, land frauds, and mining mafia operations.

He accused the former DGP Anurag Gupta of being instrumental in managing a well-organized network of illicit activities under the protection of the state government.

Marandi further alleged that the government violated UPSC guidelines by retaining Gupta as DGP post-retirement while assigning him dual responsibilities for both the CID and ACB.

“These departments facilitated a network of illegal extortion throughout the state,” he asserted, claiming that Gupta operated a gangster-like organization while donning a uniform.

Marandi elaborated that Gupta’s appointment as DGP resulted from a “give-and-take agreement” with political leaders.

Citing alleged extortion in the Bharatmala highway project, he claimed that “40 percent of the illicit profits were funneled to Anurag Gupta, with the rest going to higher authorities.”

“When the monetary flow ceased to reach the upper echelons, Gupta was ousted from his position,” Marandi stated.

He also accused the former DGP of having ties with imprisoned gangster Sujit Sinha and being involved in the unlawful trade of coal, sand, and minerals.

“The DGP himself supervised this network, instilling fear and enabling extortion throughout the state,” Marandi alleged.

Furthermore, he noted that the encounter involving criminal Aman Sahu was linked to this nexus, allegedly orchestrated to protect the illegal operations.

“This situation transcends mere corruption; it is a grave issue affecting Jharkhand’s internal security. The connections among Anurag Gupta, Sujit Sinha, and the Aman Sahu encounter warrant investigation by the NIA,” Marandi demanded.

He also mentioned that the government possesses an alleged conversation between Riya Sinha, the spouse of Sujit Sinha, and Anurag Gupta that has not been disclosed to the public.

Marandi accused the Hemant Soren government of “supporting a uniformed thug” and establishing a “statewide network of fear and extortion.”

As of now, there has been no response from the Chief Minister’s office regarding Marandi’s accusations.