A kilogram of gold and silver each, Rs 60 lakh in cash, property documents worth crores, 61 bullets were among things recovered in multi-state raids by CBI across 16 locations including poll-bound Jharkhand in connection with the state's illegal stone mining scam in Nimbu Pahar in which an alleged political aide of Chief Minister Hemant Soren is under the scanner, sources have told NDTV.
The Central Bureau of Investigation carried out searches in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar.
It launched an operation at 11 locations in Jharkhand's Sahibganj, three locations in Ranchi, and one each in Patna and Kolkata at the premises of suspects and their associates.
Jharkhand, the state craved out of Bihar in 2000, is set for a two-phase election to its 81-member Assembly on November 13 and 20. The votes will be counted on November 23.
Hemant Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM in the Opposition's INDIA bloc is contesting the majority of 41 seats. The Congress will contest 30, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal will fight for six seats. The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) will contest four seats.
The central probe agency had registered the case on November 23, 2023 on the directions of the Jharkhand High Court.
The Jharkhand High Court had directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the conduct of the accused people charged by Sahibganj Police and also the conduct of petitioner Bijay Hansda who had sought to withdraw the writ petition.
In its FIR registered in November last year, the Ranchi unit of the CBI charged Mr Soren's alleged political aide Pankaj Mishra, Pavitra Kumar Yadav, Rajesh Yadav, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Bacchu Yadav, Sanjay Yadav and Suvesh Mandal. They are allegedly involved in the "pilferage and illegal extraction" of stone at Nimbu Pahar in Sahibganj.
It issued the orders on the petition of Mr Hansda, alleging that for the last two-and-a half years, "stone mafias" are doing "illegal mining" in connivance with government officials, including mining officials, of his district.
He has alleged that they are using earthmoving machines and carrying out blasts which resulted in cracks in the houses of villagers.
Mr Hansda had alleged that he has seen that illegal mining was done in the presence of Mishra but his complaints to district officials did not result in any action from their side.
It had also directed the agency to register a regular case after the preliminary enquiry (PE) and look into the role of other public servants.
During a hearing before the high court, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had said that Mishra controls the illegal stone mining and their transportation in Sahibganj.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed serious concerns over the issue of illegal mining in Sahibganj, the ED, which investigates financial crimes, had said.
"It has been further stated that Pankaj Mishra (is) the MLA representative of the Jharkhand chief minister and is a very influential person," the high court had noted.
It had said Mishra is directly involved in illegal mining in Sahibganj and its adjoining areas.
"... the said Pankaj Mishra is already arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and he is in jail custody," the court had said, citing ED submissions.