Ranchi (Jharkhand): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stated that a state government has the right to ask the reason for the summons issued against a state officer in the money laundering case. Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel has been told by the Enforcement Directorate that the state government cannot ask for information and reasons for the summons.
It was understood that the Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel had written a letter to the Enforcement Directorate. She had sought information from the agency to clarify the reasons for the summons issued to the state government officials. "Explain what are the charges against the officer to whom the summons has been issued and what is the evidence against him. Also tell in which case you are are calling the officer for questioning," Dadel had said.
She had written in his letter that without the permission of the state government, no officer would go before the agency for questioning, which was decided by the Hemant Soren-led Cabinet. On this basis of this decision, Sahibganj District Commissioner Ramniwas Yadav had not gone to the ED office recently.
In the illegal mining case in Sahibganj, the team of Enforcement Directorate had simultaneously raided several places including the residence of the Deputy Commissioner. After that, summons were issued to him and he was called for questioning in the ED office here. But the officer did not come. After the letter, several attempts were made to contact Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel but she did not respond.
On January 16, ED had issued summons to Chief Minister's Press Advisor Abhishek Prasad. But he also did not come to the agency office. When asked the reason for his not going, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya cited the cabinet decision.
Senior IAS Pooja Singhal, former Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan are lodged in Hotwar jail in cases related to money laundering in purchase and sale of land through MNREGA, illegal mining and manipulation of documents.
The ED had sent a summons to Jharkhand Chief Minister for the eighth time after which he agreed and said on January 20, the ED team can come to his residence and record his statement.
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