Ranchi Police Raid ED Office, Sparks Political Clash in Jharkhand
Political tensions flared in Jharkhand on Thursday after Ranchi police conducted a raid at the Enforcement Directorate office in the city. The ruling JMM and opposition BJP quickly exchanged sharp accusations over the incident, turning it into a major controversy.
FIR by Former Clerk Triggers Police Action
The police raid followed a formal complaint filed by Santosh Kumar, a former clerk with the water resources department. Kumar accused ED officials of physically assaulting him during recent questioning sessions. He registered the FIR at the airport police station just two days before the raid occurred.
Notably, Kumar himself faces allegations in a departmental scam that the ED is currently investigating. The police decided to visit the ED office after officials failed to appear for questioning on Wednesday when summoned regarding the assault case.
JMM Defends Police Action
JMM leaders strongly defended the police action during an evening press conference. Supriyo Bhattacharya, the party's central general secretary and spokesperson, questioned why BJP leaders were protesting the raid.
"Why is BJP crying hoarse over Ranchi police's action against the ED office?" Bhattacharya asked reporters. "The raid wasn't at the BJP office in any way."
He emphasized that police were simply performing their duty according to established procedures. Bhattacharya further demanded that police take action against BJP leaders who used social media to criticize the state police force.
BJP Leaders Condemn Raid
Opposition leaders immediately condemned the police action. Babulal Marandi, the opposition leader, expressed serious concerns about potential evidence tampering.
Through social media platform X, Marandi wrote that the ED office contained crucial evidence related to corruption cases involving Chief Minister Hemant Soren. He warned that the police action might enable destruction of important documents.
"We will not let Jharkhand become Bengal," Marandi declared, referencing similar incidents in West Bengal. He called for central forces to secure the ED office immediately.
Godda MP Nishikant Dubey echoed these concerns, directly comparing the situation to West Bengal. He accused the Jharkhand government of following Bengal's example by surrounding the ED office with police.
Background of Tensions
This incident marks another chapter in the ongoing friction between state agencies and central investigative bodies in Jharkhand. Marandi noted that false cases have been filed against ED officials previously in the state.
He also mentioned attempts by JMM-Congress workers to attack ED officials in the past. The opposition views these incidents as systematic attempts to obstruct independent investigations into corruption allegations.
The political standoff continues as both sides maintain their positions. The JMM insists police acted properly on a legitimate complaint, while BJP leaders argue the raid threatens the integrity of corruption investigations involving high-profile figures.
