Ranchi ED office raid: Jharkhand HC flags police action as ‘pre-planned’; orders additional security deployment

NEW DELHI: Jharkhand high court on Friday stayed the police investigation against ED officers on the basis of an FIR registered in the Airport police station by a former Jharkhand government employee, Santosh Kumar.While hearing a writ petition filed by the ED, the court observed that the recent police raid on the agency’s Ranchi office prima facie appeared “pre-planned.”Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwide, while hearing a writ petition filed by the ED, directed the central agency to make the Union home secretary a party in the case.The court ordered the Union home secretary to depute CRPF/BSF or any other paramilitary force to provide security to the ED office and its officers.

Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwide directed the ED to implead the Union home secretary as a party to the case and ordered that central armed police forces, including the CRPF or BSF, be deployed to provide security to the ED office and its officers.The court also instructed Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rakesh Ranjan to ensure adequate security at the ED premises, warning that any lapse in security would make the SSP personally accountable.

The Enforcement Directorate had approached the high court on Thursday seeking a CBI probe into the state police raid, alleging direct interference in the functioning of the central agency.During the hearing, counsel for the ED informed the court that the agency was probing Santosh Kumar in connection with an alleged Rs 23-crore scam, and argued that the police action disrupted an ongoing investigation.