New Delhi, Oct 10 – The Supreme Court of India gave bail to Chhavi Ranjan, a former state‑services officer from Jharkhand, after he was jailed for more than two years on money‑laundering charges linked to a high‑profile Army land scam in Ranchi.
The bench, made up of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, approved Ranjan’s plea and told him he must stay in India and cooperate with investigators until the case is finished. Ranjan will no longer be allowed to leave the country without court permission.
Ranjan, an IAS officer from the 2011 batch, was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 4 May 2023 under the Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act (PMLA). Both the special PMLA court and the Jharkhand High Court had earlier denied him bail, sending him to jail while the investigation continued.
The ED has filed two separate PMLA cases against him. The first involves the alleged sale of about one acre of land on Cheshire Home Road in Ranchi using forged documents. In the second case, Ranjan is accused of helping transfer roughly 4.5 acres of Army‑occupied land in Bariatu, Ranchi, to private parties. The Supreme Court’s recent decision now extends relief in that case as well.
According to the ED, Ranjan, while serving as Deputy Commissioner in Ranchi, allegedly abused his position and colluded with land dealers and officials to facilitate the illegal transfer. The agency says the proceeds from these transactions were laundered through multiple channels.
Other names named in the investigations include businessman Vishnu Agarwal, Revenue Sub‑Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad, and several land dealers such as Afsar Ali, Fayaz Khan, Mohammad Saddam, and others who allegedly posed as a fake tenant to help the fraud.
After the Supreme Court’s order, Ranjan is set to walk free from jail. The case remains under investigation as authorities work to trace the proceeds and bring all parties to justice.
Source: ianslive
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