Daijiworld Media Network - Ranchi
Ranchi, Jan 15: After West Bengal, a fresh confrontation has erupted between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and state police in Jharkhand, triggering political sparring and administrative tension in the state.
The row surfaced on January 15 when a team of Ranchi police, accompanied by a large contingent of personnel, reached the ED office on Airport Road in connection with allegations of assault made by Santosh Kumar, an accused in the water supply scam.
Kumar, a resident of Upper Chutia in Ranchi, has accused ED Assistant Director (II) Prateek and his assistant Shubham of assaulting him during questioning, claiming his skull was fractured and evidence destroyed. Based on his complaint, Airport Police registered Case No. 05/2026 and launched an investigation.
According to Kumar, he was taken to Sadar Hospital after the alleged assault, where he received six stitches on his head. He further alleged that he was threatened at the hospital and warned not to disclose the actual cause of his injuries to doctors. He also claimed that upon returning to the ED office, his blood-stained T-shirt was forcibly replaced, and he was made to sign an “incident report” without being allowed to read it. Kumar alleged that officials threatened to implicate his wife and children if he approached the media, police or a lawyer.
The ED–police standoff is not new in Jharkhand, with previous clashes reported during probes into illegal mining and the Sahibganj toll tender case. Earlier, the state government had even drafted a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for questioning by central agencies, which the ED rejected, saying it violated powers granted by Parliament.
While the ED continues its probe into the alleged water supply scam, including the role of high-profile individuals such as Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the state police are now examining the conduct of ED officials in the latest episode.
The ED, meanwhile, expressed strong displeasure with Jharkhand police headquarters over Ranchi police reaching its office as early as 6 am, terming the move irregular, unnecessary and high-handed, allegedly aimed at harassment.
Reacting sharply, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi warned that Jharkhand would not be allowed to “become Bengal”. In a post on X, he alleged that corruption cases involving thousands of crores of rupees were linked to the police and administration, and expressed fears that evidence could be tampered with under the guise of police action.
Marandi further claimed that false cases had earlier been filed against the ED in Jharkhand and that JMM-Congress workers had even attempted to attack ED officials, allegedly to obstruct independent investigations. “Hemant ji, listen carefully, we will not let Jharkhand become another Bengal. You will surely be punished for your corruption,” he stated.
Congress leaders, however, downplayed the incident, describing it as routine and maintaining that the law was taking its own course.