After Supreme Court, Jharkhand High Court Pauses Probe Against ED Officer

The Jharkhand High Court has paused a probe by Ranchi Police against Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers, a day after a similar move by the Supreme Court in a Kolkata Police case over the I-PAC office raids.

The high court also directed the Senior Superintendent of Police, Ranchi, to look into the security of the ED office in Ranchi.

"It is made clear that if any untoward incident occurred in the said office, the SSP, Ranchi, will be held liable for that," it noted, adding that the court cannot be a mute spectator in such cases.

The strong remarks follow tensions between the state police and the federal agency after ED officers found their Ranchi zonal office surrounded by police last morning.

The night before, the state police had emailed the ED regarding allegations of coercion and assault against two of its officers, including an assistant director and an assistant enforcement director.

The complaint was lodged by Santosh Kumar, a former cashier-cum-upper divisional clerk (UDC) with the Jharkhand Drinking Water and Sanitation Department.

The clerk was arrested in 2024 for allegedly siphoning nearly Rs 3 crore via fake payee IDs under the name of contractor Larsen & Toubro. The ED launched its probe into the alleged money laundering in the same year.

According to the ED, Kumar, who is currently on bail, is the "principal accused" in the large-scale misappropriation of government funds.

On January 12, while speaking about his alleged role in the Peyjal Scam, Kumar picked up a water jug and then "voluntarily" struck it against his own head, which led to a minor scalp injury before he could be restrained, as per the agency.

The ED's counsel further submitted that the state police tried to treat the agency's Ranchi office as a "crime scene" in connection with the incident, adding that "prima facie, it is a pre-planned tactic to disrupt the investigation being made by the Directorate of Enforcement wherein high-profile persons of the state are involved."

Moreover, the agency also requested that the court direct the Station House Officer, Airport Police Station, to lodge an FIR against Kumar for cognizable offences including obstruction of a public servant and fabrication of evidence.

A complaint was submitted in this regard but has "arbitrarily remained unattended" by the police, ED claimed.

To this, Kumar's counsel argued that Kumar had gone to the ED office after receiving a call from one of the ED officers and requested a 10-day period to file a counter affidavit.

The Jharkhand High Court has asked the Union Home Secretary to depute either CISF, BSF, or any other paramilitary force at the ED office in Ranchi. It has further directed that the CCTV footage installed at the ED office shall be preserved.