Ranchi, April 22: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a series of raids on Tuesday morning at 15 locations across Bihar and Jharkhand as part of an ongoing investigation into a money laundering case linked to the 2022 Bokaro forest land scam. The searches targeted offices and residences associated with construction firms and government officials allegedly involved in the fraudulent allocation of forest land.
Among the primary subjects of the raids are Rajveer Construction, associated with businessmen Vimal Agarwal and Puneet Agarwal, and Shriram Construction in Banka, Bihar. In Ranchi, ED teams conducted searches in the Lalpur, Bariatu, and Hatia areas. In Bokaro, the agency searched the offices of the District Forest Officer, Circle Officer (CO), and Deputy Commissioner (DC). In Banka, Bihar, the residence and business premises of Shriram Construction’s owner were also raided.
The case involves the alleged fraudulent allotment of 74.38 acres of forest land in Bokaro by tampering with official records and forging signatures. The original land, measuring only 10 decimals, was reportedly misrepresented to facilitate the illegal transfer. Mahendra Mishra, whose name was used in the forged documents, filed a criminal case in 2024 against several individuals, including Izhar Hussain, Akhtar Hussain, Rehmat Hussain, Lalan Singh, and Shailesh Singh.
The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Jharkhand Police is also probing the scam. Based on the CID’s findings, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and initiated the current raids. The agency is examining financial transactions and property records to trace the flow of illicit funds and identify other individuals involved in the scheme.
“In 2022, some administrative officers of Bokaro had made fake signatures in the name of Mahendra Mishra’s 10 decimal land and by tampering with the correction letter, it was made 74.38 acres,” said Rajneesh Kumar, Bokaro Forest Division Officer.
Regarding the operations in Banka, an ED official stated, “The ED team is conducting intensive raids from the medical shop of the businessman to his entire residence.”
The ED’s actions are part of a broader effort to combat land-related corruption in Jharkhand and Bihar. The agency has intensified its scrutiny of land deals and construction projects in the region, aiming to uncover and prosecute instances of fraud and money laundering.
