RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday granted bail to suspended IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan in a land scam case.
Ranjan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 25 last year after 10 hours of questioning. He was charged under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly colluding with land mafias to illegally acquire private and government lands in Ranchi.
Justice Rangon Mukhopadhyay granted bail to Ranjan in the Cheshire Home land scam case, which is under investigation by the ED. However, he will remain in judicial custody as he is also an accused in another land scam case involving Army land in Ranchi.
Ranjan served as Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi from July 15, 2020, to July 11, 2022. He has been accused of misusing his official position and capacity as a public servant and extending undue benefits to several private parties for corresponding gain to himself during his tenure.
The role of Ranjan in transferring prime lands was highlighted in a report submitted by the then Divisional Commissioner, NM Kulkarni, to the state government. The revenue department, however, is alleged to have ignored these reports.
A 2011-batch IAS officer, Chhavi Ranjan was serving in the State Department of Social Welfare when he was arrested.
On April 13, 2023, ED officials conducted raids at 21 locations linked to Ranjan across Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal. The raids allegedly uncovered incriminating documents related to the land scam, involving a group skilled in preparing fake documents and falsifying originals in Ranchi.
Ranjan is accused of conspiring with power broker Prem Prakash and businessman Amit Kumar Agrawal to transfer 4.55 acres of Army land in Ranchi to M/s Jagatbandhu Tea Estate Pvt. Ltd.
During his tenure, a stone mining lease was also granted to Chief Minister Hemant Soren for mining at Angara on the outskirts of Ranchi.