Jharkhand: ED raids IAS officer, persons linked to minister in Jal Jeevan Mission case
Ranchi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted searches in connection with a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme's implementation in poll-bound Jharkhand, official sources said.
More than 20 locations in Ranchi are being covered as part of the probe. Some locations in Chaibasa in West Singhbhum district were also raided, the sources said.
Premises linked to IAS officer Manish Ranjan, a personal staffer of drinking water and sanitation minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur, his brother, some government officials, contractors and businessmen are being searched by the federal probe agency, they said.
Ranjan is the secretary of the Land, Road and Building department and has been questioned by the ED earlier in a separate money laundering case in which it arrested former minister Alamgir Alam.
Thakur charged that the raids are "politically motivated" as he refused to "buckle under pressure" of the saffron brigade to join the BJP.
Alleging that the ED was working on the directions of the central government, he demanded that the agency should come out with the list of recoveries it made from his residence, besides others associated with him.
"People have every right to know how much funds, illegal documents, gold, diamonds and other jewels were recovered from premises linked to me," Thakur said.
The minister asserted that he will prefer to be hanged to death or spend his life in jail, but will not join the BJP.
He also attacked the Centre for "unleashing central agencies" just before the assembly elections to harass leaders.
Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly are expected to be declared soon, with the term of the present Vidhan Sabha coming to an end on January 5.
Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta also dubbed the ED searches politically influenced.
A team from the CRPF provided cover to the ED search teams.
The money laundering case is linked to investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The central government's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections.
A similar money laundering investigation into the Jal Jeevan Mission was initiated by the ED in Rajasthan last year when the Congress was in power in the state.
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ISKCON urges Indian intervention following priest's arrest in Bangladesh
Dhaka: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has called on the Indian government to take immediate steps to secure the release of its priest, Chinmoy Krishna Das, detained by Bangladeshi authorities. The arrest occurred near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Das, a prominent ISKCON leader and former divisional organising secretary for Chattogram, faces sedition charges stemming from an October 25 incident. According to a case filed on October 31, 19 individuals, including Das, allegedly placed a saffron flag over the Bangladeshi flag on the Independent Pillar (Shadhinata Smathamva) during a rally organised by the Hindu community under the banner Sanatan Jagaran Mancha.
ISKCON has strongly denied any involvement in terrorism, describing the allegations as "baseless and unacceptable." In a statement, ISKCON declared, "It is outrageous to make baseless allegations that ISKCON has anything to do with terrorism anywhere in the world. ISKCON urges the Government of India to engage with Bangladesh to secure the release of Sri Chinmoy Krishna Das."
Hindu communities in Bangladesh have staged protests demanding better legal protection and the establishment of a minority affairs ministry under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi police have arrested two other suspects, Rajesh Chowdhury and Hriday Das, in connection with the case. The remaining accused include Ajay Dutta, Leela Raj Das Brahmachari, Gopal Das Tipu, and several others. ISKCON spokesperson Radharamn Das expressed concerns over Das's safety, stating that he had been moved to an undisclosed location by the police.
