Jharkhand Police Raid ED’s Ranchi Office, High Court Stays Probe

In a rare turn of events, the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) zonal office in Ranchi came under scrutiny on Thursday when it was raided by Jharkhand Police. The action involved the collection of CCTV footage as part of an investigation into an alleged assault, according to reports by PTI.

CISF personnel were deployed outside the ED office amid the Ministry of Home Affairs’ directive to enhance security at all ED establishments nationwide, following threat assessments.

The police action follows a complaint filed on January 12 by Santosh Kumar, a former employee of Jharkhand’s Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, who alleged that he was physically assaulted by ED officials during questioning over a purported water supply scam. Sources said the police team included a DSP-rank officer and the in-charge of the Airport Police Station.

In response, the ED approached the Jharkhand High Court, which on Friday stayed the police probe against the central agency. Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwide directed that the Ranchi SSP, Rakesh Ranjan, would be held responsible for any lapse in security at the office. The court also ordered the Union Home Secretary to ensure protection for ED officials by deploying CRPF, BSF, or any other paramilitary personnel.

ED counsel informed the court that the agency is investigating a ₹23-crore scam involving Santosh Kumar and has already recovered ₹9 crore in the matter.

The incident has drawn political attention, with Jharkhand Assembly Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi alleging that the police action could be used to tamper with evidence in cases linked to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Marandi highlighted that the ED office on Airport Road houses critical documents related to multi-crore corruption investigations involving the Chief Minister.

The development echoes last year’s confrontations between the ED and state authorities. In January 2024, CM Soren had lodged a police complaint against senior ED personnel following searches at his Delhi residence in a money laundering probe related to an alleged land scam. Soren had claimed that the searches were intended to “harass and malign him and his community,” citing the psychological and emotional distress caused to him and his family.

Thursday’s raid comes amid heightened scrutiny of ED operations in several states, underlining the increasingly tense relationship between the central agency and local authorities in politically sensitive cases.

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