Jharkhand orders ACB probe into disproportionate assets of former BJP ministers

RANCHI: Jharkhand government has ordered a probe by the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) into the alleged amassing of disproportionate assets by former ministers in the previous BJP government in the state.

The move comes close on the heels of the state government in May ordering a probe by a judicial commission into alleged irregularities in the construction of the state assembly building and the new high court.

In February, Chief Minister Hemant Soren had approved a proposal for an ACB probe into alleged irregularities in the state foundation day celebration in 2016 during the BJP rule.

"The state government has ordered an ACB investigation into the matter of disproportionate assets of ministers during former government in the context of a PIL filed in the High Court in 2020 in Pankaj Kumar Yadav v/s Jharkhand State," a statement issued by the state government said on Tuesday evening.

The petitioner had accused former ministers Neera Yadav, Randhir Kumar Singh, Neelkanth Singh Munda, Amar Kumar Bauri and Luis Marandi of amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

On May 17, the state government had ordered a probe by a judicial commission into alleged irregularities in the construction of the state assembly building, inaugurated nearly three years ago, and the new high court.

Soren had in July last year ordered an ACB probe into alleged financial irregularities in the construction of the new state assembly and the high court.

The three-storied assembly building, constructed at a cost of Rs 465 crore, was inaugurated on August 12, 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 19 years after the state was carved out of Bihar.

The foundation stone of the building was laid by former BJP chief minister Raghubar Das in 2015.

On February 3, Soren had approved a proposal for a probe by ACB into alleged irregularities in the state foundation day celebration in 2016 under the former BJP regime in the state.

Jamshedpur East MLA Saryu Roy had during the last assembly session raised the issue of alleged "toffee and T-shirt scam" when Raghubar Das, whom he had defeated in the last assembly polls, was at the helm of the state in 2016.

Soren had assured an inquiry either by the ACB or a special committee to probe the alleged irregularities.

A PIL has been filed before the Jharkhand High Court over the matter.