Ex-District Magistrate Ranchi Chhavi Ranjan under ED scanner in land scam case

Ranjan, who is presently posted as Director in Social Welfare Department is accused to have facilitated mutation of 4.55 acres of army land.

Ranchi: Former District Magistrate of the Ranchi district of Jharkhand, Chhavi Ranjan, who is currently posted as Director in Social Welfare Department, is on the radar of Enforcement Directorate for allegedly tampering with Revenue Department records to mutate and sell 4.55 acres of army land, officials said on Thursday.

An official said that a team of ED sleuths launched raids on Chhavi Ranjan's premises on Thursday morning. The ED also raided multiple locations in Bihar and West Bengal in connection with the case. Two locations in West Bengal, one in Bihar and rest in Jamshedpur and Ranchi were raided by the ED. An official said that the premises of many land businessmen and Ranjan's relatives in Ranchi, Hindpiri and Jamshedpur and many COs posted in Ranchi.

The case is linked to alleged mutation of 4.55 acres of land belonging to the army at Karam Toli area of Ranchi when Ranjan was the District Magistrat of Ranchi. It is alleged that the army land was mutated and sold off by tampering with the Revenue records. The role of the district administration is also questionable in the matter.

It can be recalled that in this case, the ED has already questioned the then deputy registrars Vaibhav Mani Tripathi and Ghasiram Pingua. Besides, more than half a dozen circle officers are under the scanner of the ED for their role in the alleged fraud. The ED raids come weeks after the central probe agency seized cash worth Rs 3 crore allegedly linked to suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal whose premises were raided in March by the ED.