ED raids in Jharkhand, West Bengal in money laundering case

Ranchi/Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday launched raids at a dozen locations in Jharkhand and West Bengal as part of a money laundering probe into alleged use of forged papers for sale of defence land in these states, officials said.

The federal agency is searching about eight locations in Ranchi and adjoining areas and four places in Kolkata including the premises linked to arrested businessman Amit Agarwal.

Some real estate dealers, private persons and linked entities are being searched by ED teams, they said.

The probe stems from a Jharkhand Police FIR filed to investigate alleged use of forged papers in sale and purchase of defence land, they said.

Agarwal was arrested by the ED last month on charges of alleged conspiracy to “trap” Rajeev Kumar, a lawyer representing a petitioner in two PILs filed against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

This case also has links to the alleged illegal mining case being probed by the ED in which it recently summoned Soren and has arrested one of his aides and two others.