The Jharkhand High Court observed that the state police raid on the Enforcement Directorate office in Ranchi appeared prima facie preplanned. The Court ordered the deployment of the CRPF for security and stayed the FIR against the ED officials.
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RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court has raised serious concerns over the recent police raid on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Ranchi, observing that the action prima facie appeared to be “preplanned.”
The controversy arose from a police raid conducted by Jharkhand Police at the ED office in Ranchi, following the registration of an FIR at the Airport Police Station against ED officials. The FIR was lodged by Santosh Kumar, a former Jharkhand government employee, who alleged misconduct and custodial torture by ED officers during interrogation.
The ED, terming the police action unprecedented and retaliatory, approached the Jharkhand High Court through a writ petition, accusing the state police of direct interference in its functioning. The central agency also sought a CBI investigation into the police raid, asserting that the move was designed to obstruct an ongoing money laundering probe.
High Court’s Observations and Directions
Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, while hearing the matter on Friday, made a strong prima facie observation that the police raid appeared to have been preplanned, a remark that carries serious implications given the constitutional status of the ED as a central agency.
In a bid to ensure institutional safety and prevent further escalation, the High Court issued multiple crucial directions:
- Union Home Secretary Impleaded: The court directed the ED to implead the Union Home Secretary as a party to the case.
- Deployment of Paramilitary Forces: The Home Secretary was ordered to deploy CRPF or BSF personnel to secure the ED office and ensure the safety of its officials.
- Accountability of State Police: Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan was directed to guarantee adequate security. The court made it unequivocally clear that any lapse would result in his direct accountability.
- Stay on Police Investigation: The High Court stayed further investigation pursuant to the FIR registered against ED officials, offering immediate relief to the agency.
During the hearing, counsel for the ED informed the court that the agency was investigating a ₹23 crore scam allegedly involving the complainant Santosh Kumar. It was further stated that ₹9 crore had already been recovered in connection with the case, raising questions about the timing and intent behind the FIR and the subsequent police action.
