SC Jolt to Jharkhand: CBI to Continue Probe into ED Assault Case

New Delhi: The Jharkhand government faced a legal setback on Friday as the Supreme Court refused to stay a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an FIR filed against Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Ranchi.

A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh dismissed the state’s plea, which challenged a prior Jharkhand High Court order transferring the investigation from state police to the central agency.

The Legal Conflict

Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, representing the Jharkhand government, argued for an immediate stay on the CBI proceedings, contending that the state police held the rightful jurisdiction to investigate the matter. However, the apex court declined the request, effectively clearing the path for the CBI to continue its investigation without interference.

Origins of the FIR

The case centres on a complaint by Santosh Kumar, an employee of the state’s Drinking Water and Sanitation Department and an accused in a separate money laundering investigation. Kumar alleged that ED officials:

• Physically assaulted him during questioning on January 12 at the Ranchi zonal office.
• Mentally harassed him to extract statements.

Following the complaint, Ranchi’s Airport Police Station registered an FIR against the ED officials. The subsequent arrival of Ranchi Police at the ED office sparked a high-profile standoff between state and central authorities.

High Court’s Intervention

The ED moved the Jharkhand High Court, labelling the state police action as “illegal interference” with mala fide intent. On March 11, Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi of the High Court ruled that an impartial probe was necessary, given the friction between the agencies. He ordered:

1. The immediate transfer of the case to the CBI.
2. A stay on all investigations by the Jharkhand State Police.
3. The deployment of paramilitary forces to secure the ED office in Ranchi.

With the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the Special Leave Petition (SLP) today, the Jharkhand government has exhausted its primary legal recourse to stall the CBI’s involvement in the case.