The enforcement directorate (ED) has summoned another senior Jharkhand cadre IAS officer in connection with money laundering charges amid Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s persistent allegation of BJP-led Centre misusing federal agencies against Opposition-ruled states.
On Monday, the ED summoned Rajeev Arun Ekka (1994 batch IAS) who was previously principal secretary to chief minister Soren and also held charge of the home department, to join its probe on March 15 morning in connection with a purported video released by BJP leader Babulal Marandi earlier this month.
In the video, the bureaucrat is seen signing some papers on the premises of a person, alleged by the BJP to be Vishal Choudhary, a power broker who is already under the ED scanner in the money laundering case related to the arrest of 2000 batch IAS officer Pooja Singhal.
Few hours after the ED summons, Jharkhand personnel, administration reform and Rajbhasa department shared an official memo with the media at around 11.20pm about setting up a commission of inquiry under a retired high court chief justice for an ‘independent and impartial enquiry’ to probe the allegation against Rajeev Arun Ekka.
The department official memo also informed that Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta, a former chief justice of Jharkhand High Court and also former chief justice of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand High Court has been appointed as a one-member ‘Commission of Inquiry’ for the purpose.
It further said that the commission will complete its inquiry within six months and submit a report containing, interalia its conclusion, findings and recommendations to the government.
Marandi had on March 4 released a 22-second video clip at the party headquarters claiming Ekka “can be seen signing government files in the private office of a power broker Vishal Choudhary”. He also wrote to chief secretary Sukhdev Singh seeking action against Ekka and alleged Soren was shielding the IAS.
Few hours after the BJP leader’s claims the government transferred Ekka to the panchayati raj department.
