ED raids Hemant Soren's aide Pankaj Mishra in PMLA case

The raids were conducted at around 18 locations, including Sahibganj, Berhait, and Rajmahal in connection with an alleged tender scam.

Sahibganj: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at several locations as part of a money-laundering investigation against Pankaj Mishra, the political representative of Chief Minister Hemant Soren along with four more traders such as Bhagwan Bhagat, and his brother Bhavesh Bhagat on Barhadwa Main Road, Subroto Pal living in Lolo Palace in Kushwaha Tola and Krishna Shah at Muniya Hotel. About three and a half crore rupees in cash were recovered from Heera Bhagat's place. While a total of five crores were recovered from different places.

The raids were conducted at around 18 locations, including Sahibganj, Berhait, and Rajmahal in connection with an alleged tender scam. The ED officials searched about 18 locations under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED is probing a money laundering case in 2020, while Shambhu Bhagat had told the Barharwa police station that the tender was taken from him to benefit the Chief Minister's political representative Pankaj Mishra and his brother and Rural Development Minister, Alamgir Alam for which a case was registered by ED on June 4.

According to the information, about 116 officers were engaged in the raid, and about 32 senior ED officials from several places including Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Ranchi were involved.