Ranchi ED Office Raid Sparks Legal Standoff as Court Halts Probe
Ranchi ED Office Raid Sparks Legal Standoff as Court Halts Probe
Ranchi police raid on the ED office triggers a legal clash as the High Court stays the probe and orders reinforced security.
In Ranchi, the Jharkhand Police raided the Enforcement Directorate's zonal office as part of a wider security drive announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs for ED premises after threat assessments. CISF personnel were stationed outside the building as investigators began gathering details.
Officers collected CCTV footage from the ED office as they probed an alleged assault charge tied to an inquiry into a water supply scam, with a DSP-ranked officer leading the team and the airport police station in charge assisting.
The ED moved to challenge the raid in the Jharkhand High Court, which subsequently stayed the police probe into the assault case. Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwide directed that the Ranchi senior superintendent of police be held responsible for any security lapse around the ED office.
The legal action comes amid other high-profile ED actions in the region and a broader friction between the central agency and state authorities, including recent tensions in West Bengal over searches at a political consultancy firm’s office and the residence of its chief, which ED said were part of its widening investigations.
Officials say the episode underscores the delicate balance between enforcing federal investigations and maintaining security and procedural norms, with the court’s stay effectively slowing down the probe while security arrangements are reviewed.
