The Enforcement Directorate today concluded its search operation at three locations in Ranchi relating to the ‘land scam’ involving former Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his associates.
The raids that continued for 18 hours ended at 6 am on Wednesday, where the ED sleuths are said to have confiscated several documents and digital devices.
The raids were conducted at the offices of Ramesh Gope in Ayodhyapuri, Kokar, architect-businessman Vinod Singh's office at Roshpa Tower in Main Road, Ranchi and the locations of Hilarious Kachhap.
All the persons are directly or indirectly related to land business. The raid ended in the early morning of Wednesday in the office of architect cum land businessman Vinod Singh. Sources said that the ED team thoroughly investigated different types of land documents at Vinod Singh's office.
The ED sleuths reached Vinod Singh's office at noon on Tuesday and left the next day around 6 am. During the raid, ED officials kept scanning the documents the whole night. They also confiscated computer hard disks, land documents and digital documents.
During the raid, mobile phones and digital devices were seized from land businessmen Ramesh Gope and Hilarius Kachhap. ED has also seized many documents related to land investment and land-related documents from both of them.
In the Ranchi land scam, ED had received information about the illegal possession of 8.46 acres of land of Badgain along with many other lands. ED had earlier raided Vinod Singh's house in a case related to illegal mining and influencing witnesses.
Notably, the raids were conducted after revenue inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad was taken on remand and was interrogated. Sources said that the ED had received many inputs during the inquiry.
The ED has recently told the court in its remand petition that former CM Hemant Soren was in consultation with Vinod Singh to construct a banquet hall on the land plot that he had forcefully acquired from its tribal owners.
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