On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered 2 AK-47 rifles and 60 cartridges from the residence of Prem Prakash, an alleged close associate of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The weapons were found during the raids conducted by ED at multiple locations in Ranchi as a part of an ongoing investigation into illegal mining and extortion case.
According to the reports, the ED officials while conducting searches at the residence of Prakash in Harmu Housing Colony found two rifles hidden in the old iron cupboard. SHO Argora Police Station, Vinod Kumar confirmed the incident and said that the arms recovered belonged to the Jharkhand Police. However, the ED said that the rifles would be handed over to the police only after the investigation was completed.
ED has recovered AK 47 from the premises of middleman Prem Prakash: Sources
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2022
Raids are underway at multiple locations in Ranchi (Jharkhand) in an ongoing investigation in connection with illegal mining and extortion. pic.twitter.com/RFlIxcnOkN
The ED conducted raids at Prem Prakash’s premises after it received specific information regarding his alleged association with CM Hemant Soren. Apart from Prem Prakash’s premises, the ED is conducting searches at 16 other premises in Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi-NCR over the illegal mining case. The agency is probing the trail of Rs 100 crore of proceeds of crime generated from illegal mining operations in Jharkhand.
“The evidence collected during the course of the investigation, including statements of various persons, digital evidence, and documents revealed that the seized cash along with the bank balance was derived from illegal mining being rampantly done in the Sahibganj area, including the forest area. A trail of further Rs 100 crore of proceeds of crime generated from illegal mining has also been unearthed and being worked upon”, the ED was quoted saying earlier.
Earlier on July 29, the ED as a part of its ongoing investigation into money laundering in connection with illegal mining and extortion in the state had seized a vessel worth Rs 30 crore that was being operated at the behest of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s associate Pankaj Mishra.
According to the reports, the ship allegedly transported illegally mined stone chips and boulders from the Sukargarh Ghat in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj at the instruction of Rajesh Yadav alias Dahu Yadav, in collusion with Pankaj Mishra and others.
On July 19, Pankaj Mishra, a close adviser to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, was arrested in connection with the money laundering case involving purported illicit mining near Ranchi. Mishra was apprehended after many hours of interrogation by ED officials. He was sent for another 6 days of remand on July 26.
On July 8, the ED raided 18 properties in Jharkhand purportedly associated with Pankaj Mishra and the latter’s suspected business connections in Sahebganj, Berhait, Rajmahal, and Mirza Chauki. The agency reportedly confiscated Rs 11.88 crore in cash from 37 bank accounts connected to Pankaj Mishra. During the search, the ED also discovered five unlawfully operational stone crushers and five illicit pistol cartridges.
Previously, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed that politicians and officials were participating in the illicit mining activity that has been going on in Jharkhand, and they gained profit by leveraging their power. The agency discovered a trail of more than Rs 100 crores linked to illicit mining in the state.
