The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to suspended Jharkhand-cadre IAS officer and former Ranchi deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan in a money laundering case, citing the delay in trial by the ED. He cannot leave Jharkhand without court permission and must attend all trial hearings.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to suspended Jharkhand-cadre IAS officer and former Ranchi deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan, who had been in custody for over 30 months in a money laundering case.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh noted that despite the long detention, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has not been able to complete the trial in the matter.
The bench told advocate Zoheb Hussain, representing the ED,
“We understand that the allegations are very serious but the ED has to prove these allegations. He cannot be kept inside for an infinite period,”
While granting bail, the bench imposed certain conditions, directing Ranjan not to leave Jharkhand without prior permission from the court.
The bench said,
“Taking into consideration the period already spent by the petitioner in custody, however, without expressing any opinion on the nature of the allegations levelled against him, we are inclined to release the petitioner on bail. The petitioner is, accordingly, directed to be released on bail, subject to his furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court,”
The court also emphasized that Ranjan must attend every hearing before the trial court and fully cooperate to ensure a timely conclusion of the pending proceedings.
The Supreme Court noted that Ranjan is accused in an ED case registered in 2022. The main allegations involve Amit Kumar Agarwal and others, who are accused of committing fraud related to a sale deed dated October 1, 2021, for a property owned by Jayant Karnad.
The bench stated,
“The petitioner was the deputy commissioner at the relevant time and is alleged to have conspired and assisted the main accused to get the records of the land holding fabricated, with a view to availing loan facilities etc. The petitioner is a member of the All India Services. He was arrested on May 4, 2023 and has been in custody since then,”
The court explained that the complaint was filed after the investigation was completed and the trial has already started, with only five out of 31 witnesses examined so far.
The court added,
“The conclusion of the trial will take some reasonable time. The co-accused have already been released on bail. The petitioner does not have criminal antecedents,”
The bench observed that considering the background of the remaining witnesses, there is no immediate risk of Ranjan influencing them or tampering with evidence.
It warned,
“In any case, if such an attempt is made by the petitioner, it will amount to misuse of the concession of bail and necessary consequences will follow,”
Chhavi Ranjan, a 2011-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, was taken into ED custody on May 4, 2023, after a 10-hour questioning session when he reached his office. At that time, he was serving as the director of the state’s social welfare department.
The ED is investigating multiple land deals, including one involving defence land, which was allegedly taken over by a nexus of bureaucrats and the land mafia using forged sale deeds and other documents dating back to 1932.
The central agency also acted based on a police FIR regarding forgery of personal identification documents registered by civic authorities in Ranchi. During searches, the ED reportedly seized several fake seals, land deeds, and registry documents.
The Supreme Court’s decision highlights the principle that prolonged detention without trial cannot continue indefinitely, even in cases involving serious allegations of financial crimes.
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