Central probe agency—the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned DSP Rajendra Dubey in connection with Rs 1000 crore mining scam in the Santhal Pargana. The ED summon to the DSP assumes importance as a few days back, the Jharkhand High Court directed for CBI probe into a matter of ‘illegal mining’ at Nimbu Pahad under the Jirwari police station area in Sahibganj.
A single bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi ordered the probe after hearing the PIL filed by Vijay Hansda.
Hansda through his petition demanded a CBI probe informing about illegal mining at the said place. Through his petition, Hansda informed the court that when he attempted to stop illegal mining, MLA representative of chief minister Hemant Soren, Pankaj Mishra, threatened him of dire consequences.
ED summoning Dubey also assumed importance as sources said that Dubey played a role in turning ED witness Vijay Hansda non-cooperative in the illegal mining investigation.
Dubey posted at Sahibganj was earlier too quizzed by ED. Last year in December he was interrogated for more than nine hours by the Central probe agency. Sources said that Dubey was also in contact with chief minister’s Barhait MLA representative Pankaj Mishra during his judicial custody after his arrest. He confessed before the ED that he had met Mishra illegally by going to the paying ward of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS).
Sources said that ED has also come to know while talking on the phone Dubey had said that on the instructions of Mishra and his senior officials, he tried to influence ED witnesses.
The summons was issued after the ED received information that Dubey also acquired considerable wealth by using the influence of Mishra. The ED demanded several documents from the DSP, including the land record, bank account of him and his relatives so that it can be investigated.
With the summon to DSP the probe agency will try to find the nexus in illegal mining. Sources said that Vijay Hansda is one of the witnesses of the ED probing the laundering of money earned by illegal mining, when he tried to stop the illegal mining on Nimbu Pahar he was threatened by Pankaj Mishra, a representative of Chief Minister.
When he tried to lodge an FIR against Pankaj Mishra, the police refused to lodge the case. Later, he filed a court complaint following which the court directed the Sahibganj police to lodge the FIR.