The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches in the Birsa Munda Jail here following inputs that a "conspiracy" was being hatched there to influence witnesses and destroy evidence in an alleged land scam linked money laundering case in Jharkhand, official sources said.

A number of accused arrested by the federal probe agency are lodged in the prison under judicial custody.

Following inputs of a "conspiracy" being hatched by certain arrested local musclemen to influence witnesses, to harm ED officials and tamper or destroy evidence, a search has been launched by agency officials along with jail staff, the sources said.

The agency has arrested about 14-15 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who had earlier served as the director of the state social welfare department and the deputy commissioner of Ranchi. The probe pertains to the ED alleging that a "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by mafia was going on in Jharkhand."

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.