Ranchi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Sahibganj SP Naushad Alam on Friday, directing him to appear at the Ranchi zonal office on November 22. Naushad Alam is implicated in the ED investigation for allegedly influencing witness Vijay Hansda to become antagonistic towards the ED in an illegal mining case.
Vijay Hansda, a key witness in the case, had retracted his earlier statement in court on the 12th. Surprisingly, Hansda appeared in court to testify without prior notice or summons from the ED. The ongoing case is being heard in the court of ED special judge PK Sharma, but Hansda’s testimony remains incomplete. Two individuals have previously provided testimony in the case.
The illegal mining case, involving Rs 1000 crore, has defendants including Pankaj Mishra, Prem Prakash, Bachchu Yadav, Pashupati Yadav, and Krishna Saha. Pankaj Mishra has been in custody since July 19, 2022. Vijay Hansda, crucial to the ED’s case, had lodged a complaint about illegal mining on Lemon Hill in 2022, specifically against Barhet MLA representative Pankaj Mishra and others. The case was registered in December 2022.
Vijay Hansda, initially seeking a CBI investigation into illegal mining, later withdrew the petition after being jailed in an Arms Act case. He had also filed a petition against two ED witnesses and accused an ED officer of using caste-based language during his statement under Section 164.