Press advisor to Hemant Soren involved in spying on zonal Office: ED to Jharkhand HC
Dec 23, 2022
Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], December 23 : The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday through an affidavit, told Jharkhand High Court that the press advisor to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan, was involved in spying on the agency's zonal office.
The ED submitted that the press advisor to the CM, Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu and Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan was involved in spying on the ED's zonal office after the arrest of JMM leader Pankaj Mishra in connection with an illegal minig case.
Mishra was arrested in a money laundering case from alleged illegal mining, worth over Rs 1,000 crore.
The ED informed the court that the call of Abhishek Prasad was kept under 'lawful interception'. It also shared transcripts of intercepted calls with the high court.
"His call was intercepted that was made through his number 94***41 to another number 94***32 (Rajeev Ranjan, Advocate General), the senior most law offers of the state of Jharkhand on July 22, 2022. In the said calls, Abhishek Prasad was trying to arrange a government counsel for the said accused Pankaj Mishra. Further, Abhishek Prasad also suggested the Advocate General to send a lawyer secretly to the office of the Directorate of Enforcement Ranchi to meet Pankaj Mishra in order to know what he was being questioned about and his answers given to the Directorate of Enforcement" reads the affidavit.
The ED further mentioned that one of the seed advocates, Pradeep Chandra, visited its office on July 23 and as 28.
Mishra was admitted to RIMS, Ranchi on July 28, under judicial custody, on health grounds on the advice of Abhishek Prasad.
The ED, further mentioned in its affidavit that Mishra was constantly hampering the evidence and influencing witnesses in the case.
It further informed that Mishra despite being in judicial custody had access to mobile phones
"The scrutiny of the mobile phones revealed that Pankaj Mishra while languishing in judicial custody had done nearly 300 phone calls to his associates and relatives. Such persons include several government officials including officials from the police department, Jharkhand," the affidavit read.
The ED arrested Mishra in the laundering case on July 19.
Initially, the agency took over the case related to the tender management of a toll plaza through threats and attacks on the complainant. The case was originally registered at the Barharwa police station in Sahebganj district.
According to ED, Mishra wanted to take control of the said toll plaza for illegal transportation of stone chips.
Before being summoned and arrested, Mishra had summoned one of his associates, apart from him.
He directed him to block roads, close markets and launch strikes at Barhet and surrounding areas as a mark of protest.
