ED raids 20 locations linked to Jharkhand Minister’s aide in Jal Jeevan Mission case

The raids follow previous actions over the weekend, which were linked to a money laundering case tied to a land scam

October 14, 2024

Jal Jeevan Mission: ED conducts searches in Ranchi and Chaibasa

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted extensive raids at 20 locations across Jharkhand on Monday, focusing on associates of State Minister Mithilesh Thakur amid an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission. Among those targeted were Thakur’s personal secretary, Harendra Singh, IAS officer Manish Ranjan, and businessman Vijay Agarwal.

The operation spanned multiple sites in Ranchi and Chaibasa, including residences on Ratu Road, Harmu, and Morhabadi belonging to Agarwal, as well as the homes of Ranjan and Singh. To facilitate the searches, security forces were deployed to maintain order.

During the raids, several documents and electronic devices were seized, as investigators examined complaints of corruption related to the Jal Jeevan Mission’s implementation across various districts in the state. The ED has registered multiple FIRs based on these allegations and is expanding its inquiry.

Mithilesh Thakur, a significant member of the Hemant Soren government representing the Garhwa Assembly constituency, may also come under scrutiny as the investigation deepens.

These latest raids follow previous actions over the weekend, which were linked to a money laundering case tied to a land scam. On October 8, the ED targeted various officials in Ranchi, Dhanbad, and Patna, recovering numerous documents in the process.

Concerns regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission were also highlighted recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a public meeting in Hazaribagh, where he called attention to ongoing discrepancies in the scheme’s implementation.

The Central government’s initiative aims to provide safe drinking water through household tap connections, making the investigation even more pressing as assembly elections in the state are anticipated soon.

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