Ranchi, Nov 11: The Sahibganj police, under scrutiny, has declared the FIR (ST-SC case number 6/22) related to illegal mining on Sahibganj Lemon Hill as false. Sources reveal that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to interrogate Sahibganj SP Naushad Alam in connection with this matter. Summoning SP Naushad Alam for questioning at the ED’s Ranchi zonal office on November 22, the ED aims to unravel the circumstances leading to the dismissal of the illegal mining case.
The complaint, filed by Vijay Hansda in 2022, implicated Barhet MLA representative Pankaj Mishra and others in illegal mining activities on Sahibganj Lemon Hill. The case was registered in December 2022 but has been dismissed as false during supervision by the Sahibganj Police. The ED’s inquiry is expected to shed light on the reasons behind the police’s decision.
Vijay Hansda, a crucial witness for the ED, had retracted his earlier statement in court on September 12. His sudden appearance without prior notice for testimony raised questions. While the testimony remained incomplete, two individuals have previously testified in the case, which is currently under consideration in the court of ED special judge PK Sharma.
Pankaj Mishra, along with co-accused Prem Prakash, Bachchu Yadav, Pashupati Yadav, and Krishna Saha, faces trial in the illegal mining case valued at Rs 1000 crore. Pankaj Mishra has been in jail since July 19, 2022. Vijay Hansda’s bodyguard, Ajay Kumar, was also interviewed by the CBI during the investigation. It was discovered that Vijay Hansda had traveled from Dhanbad to New Delhi in August, with the train ticket booked by SP Naushad Alam. Following Naushad Alam’s interrogation, the ED may soon question the sergeant from the Ranchi Police Centre who facilitated the train ticket for this journey.