Ranchi: Krishna Saha, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Sahebganj illegal mining case worth more than Rs 1000 crore, was presented in the special court on Thursday. On behalf of ED’s advocate, a demand was made to the court to give remand of seven days to Krishna Saha. After hearing the arguments from the side of Special Public Prosecutor Shiv Kumar alias Kaka ji, the court granted remand for five days. Now ED officers will interrogate Krishna Saha till Monday.
In this inquiry, ED would like to know the answers to the questions related to illegal mining. ED officials had questioned Krishna Saha on Wednesday. He was summoned for this inquiry on July 1. In that summons, he was asked to appear at the Zonal Office in Ranchi on July 5.
An FIR has been registered against Krishna Saha and others at Ranga police station in connection with the death of two laborers during illegal mining on the night of June 30 in Chapande mountain of Patna zone area of Sahibganj district. After questioning on Wednesday, Krishna Saha was arrested late in the evening. This is the fifth arrest made by the ED in the money laundering case related to illegal mining. Three are absconding including the vice president of Sahibganj Zilla Parishad on the same charge.
Krishna Saha was produced in the PMLA court today. From where he has been sent on remand for five days. The ED started probing the illegal mining and money laundering case in Sahibganj from the Barharwa toll dispute.
In this, 50 FIRs related to criminal cases other than the Minor Mineral Act were merged. The ED has earlier arrested Chief Minister’s MLA representative Pankaj Mishra, his aide Bachchu Yadav, Pashupatinath Yadav and power broker Prem Prakash during the investigation into illegal mining.
Rajesh Yadav alias Dahu Yadav, his son Rahul Yadav and Dahu’s brother Sunil Yadav are absconding in this case of illegal mining. The ED had raided a total of 47 locations on July 8, 14, 15, 25 and 26, 2022, as well as on August 24, 2022, during the investigation of illegal mining in Sahibganj. In this, apart from cash of Rs 5.33 crore, back balance of Rs 13.32 crore was seized.