ED will start questioning Sahibganj DC in Jharkhand mining scam on Feb 6

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to question Sahibganj DC Ramniwas Yadav again on Monday in connection with the investigation into illegal stone mining. Stones worth Rs 1000 crore have been quarried in Santhal Pargana. Earlier, on January 23, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Sahibganj DC Ramniwas Yadav for seven hours whether or not he was aware of an illegal stone quarrying scam in his district worth Rs. 1000 crore which the agency is investigating.

Unsatisfied with his reply, seeking 10 more days to state the correct facts, the ED asked him to appear again for questioning on February 6. Sources claimed that the DC looked a little uncomfortable with the ED's questions. He repeated that they would give him ten days to answer the questions. During his questioning, the ED questioned the DC and said that the DC and SP of the concerned district have full responsibility to stop illegal mining, yet a lot of illegal mining and traffic took place in his district. The ED asked him about the steps he had taken to stop illegal mining. The ED also raised questions about its failure to stop illegal mining and asked why it did not act against it.

ED also raised questions about most of the illegal mining that took place during his tenure after he became DC of Sahibganj in October 2020. ED also showed him documents related to illegal mining and said that from stone mafia to officers, leaders and traders involved in illegal mining worth Rs 1000 crore. Stones were pelted in Sahibganj district, but he, as the District Magistrate, remained silent and took no action.

ED asked DC Yadav that a cargo ship carrying trucks carrying stone chips met with an accident on river Ganga in Sahibganj. Many questions have been raised about the report prepared by DC on this. Even the DC message reached Pankaj Mishra, the MLA from the Chief Minister's Barhait constituency. ED then asked how the message reached Pankaj Mishra. He had no satisfactory answer to this DC either. The ED proved and disputed several pieces of evidence, including Pankaj Mishra's collaboration in illegal mining, with the DC working on the instructions of Pankaj Mishra while undergoing treatment at RIMS. DC could not give a satisfactory answer to these questions either.