Fresh raids on suspended IAS officer’s aides in Ranchi
Law Kumar Mishra
Ranchi, May 24
Based on the information extracted from suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal, the Enforcement Directorate today conducted fresh raids on businessmen allegedly investing the black money.
The raids were conducted at six locations in the posh locality of Ashok Nagar and Argora in Ranchi owned by city builder Anil Jha and another businessman Vishal Choudhary. Besides, ED officials also searched office premises of the construction company NKCPL owned by Nishit Keshri, who is reported to be a close relative of a senior officer posted in the office of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Sources said the action came on the information revealed from the 2000-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who was arrested on the charges of money laundering. Pooja Singhal, who has been placed under suspension by the state government, is presently in ED custody that would end Wednesday. The ED had obtained vital information from her.
According to officials, Choudhary has a close connection with two top bureaucrats of Jharkhand. The officers are now under ED scanner. Sources said Vishal Choudhary was awarded contract for the supply of testing kits worth crores of rupees. He had also bagged important projects of the state government.
Sources said that Choudhary’s i-phone was found in a garbage in the backside of the house when the ED team struck. Besides i-phone, a few documents were also recovered in which names of few Indian Police Service (IPS) and IAS officers had been mentioned. The documents are related to transactions worth over Rs 73 crore.
Choudhary is known for his foreign trip craze. In last two years, he has reportedly spent over Rs 3 crore on abroad trip. Known for his luxurious style of living, he is allegedly utilizing the money of bureaucrats earned through the shady deals.
