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Jharkhand Police Thursday carried out searches at the Enforcement Directorate’s Ranchi office following allegations of custodial assault against two ED officials by an accused in a corruption case. The move has sparked a political row, with the Opposition BJP alleging attempts to tamper with evidence.
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According to sources, police teams reached the ED’s regional office around 6 am over allegations that two officials had assaulted a man during questioning earlier this week.
In a complaint filed at the Airport police station on Tuesday, Santosh Kumar, a former cashier in Jharkhand’s Drinking Water and Sanitation Department who is facing trial in a corruption case registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), alleged that two ED officials — one of them an Assistant Director — assaulted him inside the agency’s office on January 12.
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In his complaint, quoted in the FIR, Kumar alleged that he was summoned to the ED office, coerced into signing documents, and that attempts were made to destroy evidence of the assault.
He further alleged that he was pressured to “confess” to certain allegations and was “illegally detained” at the ED office for hours to prevent him from approaching the police, family, or the media. He said he sustained a head injury that required six stitches.
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Police said the case has been registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to assault, criminal intimidation, and wrongful confinement, and that an investigation is underway.
Attempts to contact ED officials did not elicit a response.
When contacted, the Airport police station in-charge told The Indian Express that a team had visited the location in the morning for an inspection. “Details were uploaded on the police e-search system recently provided to the district administration,” he said, adding that no arrests have been made so far in connection with the case.
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The police action has sparked allegations of evidence tampering, with former chief minister Babulal Marandi claiming that the ED office contains “crucial evidence related to corruption cases involving the Chief Minister Heman Soren, and the police administration, amounting to thousands of crores of rupees”.
“There is a fear that attempts may be made to tamper with or destroy this crucial evidence under the guise of police action,” he said on X.
According to police, Kumar has been accused of siphoning off Rs 2.71 crore under the urban water supply scheme through fake bank accounts. An FIR registered against him in December 2023 alleged non-cooperation with the inquiry and misuse of official records.
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Kumar was arrested in April 2024 in the case and granted bail on April 15, 2025.
