Ranganath says land mafia fed false information to courts

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:29:00 +0000

The Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency Commissioner A.V. Ranganath on Monday defended the agency’s actions against encroachments, saying its work over the past two years had been guided by the spirit of the Constitution and aimed at protecting government land, lakes and parks.

In a statement, Mr. Ranganath said HYDRAA had acted in accordance with Articles 21 and 48A of the Constitution to safeguard public assets, which he estimated to be worth about ₹1.5 lakh crore at current market value. He said six lakes had been fully restored, while restoration work on another 20 lakes was progressing. Mr. Ranganath alleged that land mafia and encroachers were attempting to mislead courts by presenting false information. Referring to the Lothkunta land dispute, he alleged that a real estate company had attempted to take over government land worth nearly ₹10,000 crore. He further alleged that the company had carried out blasting on billion of years-old heritage rock formations and felled hundreds of trees without obtaining the required permissions. He said HYDRAA intervened following complaints from the Society to Save Rocks, environmental activists and local residents.

The Commissioner also alleged that the developer had filed a contempt case against him after encroaching upon 120 acres of government land while claiming the disputed property was located elsewhere. He said 63 contempt cases had been filed against him, which he attributed to individuals and entities whose alleged encroachments had been challenged by HYDRAA.

Mr. Ranganath said he would contest all the cases through legal means and expressed confidence in the judiciary. He added that he had always worked with respect for the law and would continue to discharge any responsibilities entrusted to him by the government with the same commitment.

Published – July 27, 2026 09:58 pm IST

Source link

What Probe Report On Hemant Soren Claims

admin — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:17:43 +0000

Land scam case: Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. (File)

New Delhi:

The Enforcement Directorate, in their chargesheet, has alleged a web of corruption and manipulation in a Rs 600 crore land scam in which former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren is an accused. The chargesheet names Hemant Soren, revenue officer Bhanu Pratap Prasad, and two other government employees as accused.

Mr Soren is being investigated in connection with an alleged racket of illegal change of land ownership by the mafia in Jharkhand. He resigned as Jharkhand Chief Minister just before his arrest.

According to the chargesheet accessed by NDTV, statements and documents in the case confirmed that Hemant Soren was part of the ‘land mafia’ and enjoyed the proceeds of the crime.

During the probe, officials found a 44-page file in Mr Pratap’s office, containing crucial information regarding an 8.86-acre land owned by Hemant Soren. The chargesheet mentions that Mr Pratap used to refer to Mr Soren as ‘boss’.

Hemant Soren had illegally occupied the 8.86-acre land in the Bargain area of Ranchi since 2011, the agency claimed.

The property, now valued at Rs 31 crores, has been seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The occupation of this land allegedly occurred through Hemant Soren’s close aides Ranjit Singh, Hilarius Kachhap, and Rajkumar, as per ED’s findings.

According to ED, Bhanu Pratap was part of a syndicate altering government land documents to facilitate land grabs, with involvement from several government officials, including Hemant Soren.

ED included photos of two surveys conducted on the property, implicating Bhanu Pratap among the accused.

The caretaker of the property, Santosh Munda, affirmed its ownership under “Minister Ji”, referring to Hemant Soren.

A photo retrieved from accused Binod Kumar’s mobile revealed plans for constructing a bank hall on the property.

Hemant Soren, in his statement to ED, claimed ignorance regarding the property and remained tight-lipped about his chats with Binod.

Bhanu Pratap referred to Hemant Soren as his boss and orchestrated the land grab on the 8.86 acres, manipulating government records, the agency claims.

Diaries and messages on another accused’s phone show financial transactions involving Bhanu Pratap.

ED has collected statements from 33 witnesses and seized thousands of pages of documents.

From Hemant Soren’s residence in Delhi, Rs 36 lakh cash and a BMW car were confiscated.

ED has now seized properties worth Rs 256 crore rupees which were illegally seized by this ‘syndicate’.

So far, 16 accused have been arrested in connection with this case, including Hemant Soren and former Ranchi DC, IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan.

Mr Soren has denied the allegations against him and accused the BJP of abusing probe agencies to destabilise democratically elected governments.

Source link

Land Mafia – Artifex.News

Ranganath says land mafia fed false information to courts

What Probe Report On Hemant Soren Claims