Ranchi Police collect CCTV footage of ED office over 'assault' complaint; sparks BJP-JMM slugfest

Ranchi, Jan 15 (PTI) A team of the Ranchi Police collected CCTV footage of the zonal office of the Enforcement Directorate here on Thursday, after a former Jharkhand government employee alleged assault by ED officials during interrogation, sources said.

The development triggered a war of words between the opposition BJP and the ruling JMM over the authority of the police force.

Police personnel arrived at the ED office in the morning, after the former drinking water and sanitation department employee filed a police complaint on January 12, alleging that he was "thrashed" by ED officials during interrogation over an alleged water supply scam.

The team comprised a DSP-rank officer and the airport police station in-charge, the sources said.

The police, however, did not issue any official statement on it till the filing of this report.

The development comes close on the heels of the confrontation between the West Bengal Police and ED officials, after the central probe agency conducted searches at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its director Pratik Jain, amid allegations of interference by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

On the condition of anonymity, an officer of Ranchi Police said they were scrutinising CCTV footage of the ED office here in view of the assault charge.

CISF personnel have been deployed near the ED office to boost security.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, alleged that under the guise of police action at the central probe agency's office, attempts could be made to tamper with and destroy crucial evidence pertaining to cases involving Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

"Information has been received that the ED's regional office located on Airport Road in Ranchi is being surrounded by @ranchipolice. The ED office contains important evidence related to thousands of crores of rupees in corruption cases involving Chief Minister @HemantSorenJMM.

"There is apprehension that under the guise of police action, tampering with or destruction of these crucial pieces of evidence may be attempted," Marandi said in a post on X.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also expressed apprehension that the state police action may result in arrest of honest officials.

"Following the example of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ji, the Jharkhand government and its Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji, @ranchipolice have surrounded the @dir_ed office in Ranchi as per the information," Dubey said in an X post.

False cases have previously been filed against the ED in Jharkhand, and attempts to attack the agency by JMM-Congress workers have also occurred, the BJP leader alleged.

"Such incidents are attempts to obstruct the independent and impartial functioning of investigative agencies. Hemant ji, listen carefully... We will not let Jharkhand become Bengal. You will definitely get punishment for corruption. The time has come to completely destroy the illegal administration present in Jharkhand," he said.

Slamming the statement of leader of opposition, JMM central spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said the police were doing their job and a case against Marandi should be lodged for "provoking a clash between central and state forces." "If someone lodged a complaint with the police that he was assaulted, it is their duty to investigate. The police had summoned the ED officials concerned to the police station regarding the case. But, they did not appear. As per investigation norms, Ranchi Police reached the ED office to match the evidence claimed in the FIR. Police are doing circumstantial evaluation as part of the investigation," he told reporters.

Noting that Marandi sought more central forces from the Home Ministry at the ED office, Bhattacharya wondered what does the former chief minister want.

"Does he want a clash between central and state forces? What kind of provocation is this? A criminal case should be lodged against him. I demand that the Ranchi Police lodge a case immediately for such provocation," he said.

The Congress, a constituent of the ruling coalition, alleged that BJP was blowing the matter out of proportion, as the police had to investigate at the place of occurrence.

"People are convinced that the office of the BJP and that of the ED are the same," senior Congress leader Rajesh Thakur said.

In January 2024, Soren had lodged a police complaint against senior ED personnel at the SC/ST police station here over searches conducted by the agency at his Delhi residence in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

Soren claimed that the ED conducted the searches to "harass and malign him and his entire community", according to the FIR.

The CM was questioned by the ED as part of an investigation into a "huge racket of illegal change of land ownership by the mafia" in Jharkhand.

The ED later prayed for a CBI probe before the Jharkhand High Court into allegations levelled by Soren that a section of its officers violated provisions of the SC/ST Act.

"My family members and I have suffered and experienced immense mental, psychological and emotional harm because of the acts committed...," Soren stated in the FIR.

The matter is pending before court. PTI SAN NAM RBT NN