The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Saturday said that it has arrested three accused persons, namely, Sanjeet Kumar, Md Irshad and Tapas Ghosh in the case of Bhanu Pratap Prasad and Others, one of the cases of alleged land scam which is being probed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

These persons have been arrested for their alleged role in forgery, tampering and fabrication of land records, thus changing the nature of lands which are designated as non-saleable under Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act (CNT Act), to protect the land rights of tribal and marginalized communities.

The ED in its communiqué on Saturday further stated that during its probe, active involvement of government officials of land revenue department in Ranchi and Kolkata has surfaced, adding that Kumar and Ghosh worked as contractual employees at the Registrar of Assurances, Kolkata.

The probe agency further claimed that its investigation has also revealed that some of the lands acquired through such falsification by the above stated accused persons are under alleged illegal possession of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

The statement further read that the probe agency initiated investigation in five cases of land scam with similar modus operandi on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by Jharkhand Police and Kolkata Police against several persons including government officials.

The ED’s probe revealed that a racket of land mafia is active in Jharkhand which is involved in tampering of the land records in Ranchi and Kolkata, the communiqué said further, and it is also being alleged that original land records of ownerships are either tampered or concealed to facilitate unlawful acquisition and use, and allegedly on the basis of forged land records, such land parcels are sold to other persons.

The federal probe agency said it had earlier carried out 55 searches and nine surveys in such cases and during the same incriminating evidences like forged seals of Land Revenue Department, forged land deeds, records of distribution of Proceeds of Crime and other evidence were seized.

Searches have also resulted in recovery and seizure of Rs 1.27 crore of cash and freezing bank accounts with a value of up to Rs 3.56 crore.

The ED has also provisionally attached tainted land parcels worth around Rs 266 crore of commercial value, the agency said.

The agency further said that a total of 25 accused persons have been arrested so far and three Prosecution Complaints have been filed by it in the cases of land scam that are presently being probed, while further investigation is under progress, the agency added.