The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday raided various places linked to Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s press advisor, deputy commissioner of Sahibganj Ram Niwas Yadav and architect Vinod Pratap in connection with the alleged illegal sand mining case, sources said. The ED raids come a day after Soren, for the seventh time, ignored the agency’s summons which asked him to join the ongoing probe in a land related case. The agency had said the latest summons was the CM’s last chance to join the probe. However, in a January 2 letter, Soren said he would legally challenge the probe, sources said. Incidentally, Pintu had been called in for questioning in the same case after allegations were levelled against him that he too owned mines in Sahibganj area. Speaking to the Indian Express earlier, Pintu had said: “Yes, I do own mines, but the consent to operate was given to me during Raghubar Das’s tenure.” The press advisor’s name had propped up in August last year too when the ED had sought details of FIRs and charge sheets filed against persons from the Jharkhand Police. Pintu’s name was one among the many featured in anonymous letters to the agency. Proprietor of Grid Consultant Architect Company, Singh, was featured in one of the letters too. “It is alleged that Kumar.is very close to CM Hemant Soren and his media advisor Abhishek Prasad. He has acquired illegal properties…” the ED had said. Meanwhile, Yadav has been on the agency’s radar since his name featured in its prosecution complaint earlier. The agency said telephonic conversations of Pankaj Mishra – Soren’s aide who is in jail in connection with the illegal sand mining case – from one number were ‘lawfully intercepted’. The agency said Yadav had exerted dominance and misused his power over Commissioner of Dumka zone, Chandra Mohan Kashyap. #WATCH | Ranchi: ED raids are underway at Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's press advisor's residence Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu in connection with an illegal mining case. Searches are being carried out at 12 locations including Abhishek Prasad's residence and the residence of… pic.twitter.com/fRuJWQkxw8 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024 In his conversation, Yadav said he was operating ferries in Jharkhand and insisted not to pursue a report from the collector of Sahibganj on an inland vessel’s accident where ‘several trucks were drowned and resulted in loss of several lives’. The agency said Yadav’s report was not satisfactory and hence Kashyap had sought clarifications, including on the possible causes of the accidents and the persons responsible for it. “Kashyap said Mishra called him and told him he owned the vessel and also insisted him not to seek any further clarification on the collector’s report. Sources in the ED said the raids are being conducted to probe the alleged nexus between Yadav, Mishra and others.
