Ranchi, July 10: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached 66 acres of land valued at around ₹85 crore in Ranchi as part of its ongoing investigation into an alleged money laundering case linked to illegal land transactions.
According to the agency, the attached properties are allegedly connected to Ranchi-based land dealer Kamlesh Kumar, who is under investigation for his suspected role in the illegal acquisition and sale of land through forged documents.
The ED said a significant portion of the attached land—around 48 acres—was allegedly registered during the tenure of former Kanke Circle Officer (CO) Diwakar Kumar.
Investigators had earlier alleged in a chargesheet that the former official accepted a ₹3.50 crore bribe in connection with the disputed land registrations.
The money laundering probe stems from a CBI case registered in 2024 over alleged irregularities in land transactions in Ranchi’s Kanke area.
The ED has accused the suspects of creating forged records and using fraudulent methods to facilitate the transfer and sale of land.
During searches conducted in June 2024, the agency recovered ₹1.02 crore in cash, along with several documents and digital devices believed to be linked to the alleged land scam.
The investigation has also revealed that Kamlesh Kumar, along with his associates, allegedly collected money from multiple individuals by promising ownership of disputed land parcels.
The ED suspects that forged auction documents were used to facilitate the illegal transfer of nearly 38.87 acres of land.
Investigators have further alleged that 12 land parcels were sold between February 2020 and April 2024 through associates to several individuals and entities.
These transactions, valued at over ₹2.24 crore, are also under scrutiny for their suspected connection to the money laundering case.
The provisional attachment prevents the sale or transfer of the identified properties until the legal proceedings are completed.
The ED said the investigation is continuing to identify additional beneficiaries and establish the full extent of the alleged land scam.
The allegations remain under investigation, and the accused are entitled to present their defence before the competent legal authorities.
