The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at 20 locations in Jharkhand on Monday, focusing on individuals linked to state Minister Mithilesh Thakur, including his personal secretary Harendra Singh, IAS officer Manish Ranjan, and businessman Vijay Agarwal. This operation is part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide safe drinking water through household tap connections.
The raids took place in Ranchi and Chaibasa, targeting various properties, including those of Vijay Agarwal on Ratu Road, Harmu, and Morhabadi, as well as the residences of IAS officer Manish Ranjan and Minister Thakur’s personal secretary. Security forces were deployed to facilitate the searches, during which several documents and electronic devices were seized.
The investigation stems from complaints of corruption and discrepancies in the Jal Jeevan Mission’s implementation across several districts in Jharkhand. FIRs have been filed in multiple cases, and the ED is expanding its inquiry based on these reports. Given Mithilesh Thakur’s significant role in the Hemant Soren government and his representation of the Garhwa Assembly constituency, there are speculations that the investigation may extend to him as the ED’s probe intensifies.
These raids follow earlier actions by the ED related to a money laundering case connected to a land scam, with previous searches conducted on October 8 in Ranchi, Dhanbad, and Patna, targeting various officials and resulting in the recovery of numerous documents.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently expressed concerns about irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission during a public meeting in Hazaribagh, highlighting the ongoing complaints regarding the scheme’s implementation and the need for a comprehensive investigation. With assembly elections expected to be announced soon in the state, the situation remains dynamic.