Jharkhand: ED raids in Jal Jeevan Mission linked money laundering case

More than 20 locations in Ranchi are being covered as part of the probe. Premises linked to Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur and a personal staffer, IAS officer Manish Ranjan, some government officials, contractors and businessmen are being searched by the federal probe agency, the sources said.

The money laundering case is linked to investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission. The central government's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections.

Meanwhile, Thakur termed the raids as "politically motivated", as he refused to "buckle under pressure" of the saffron brigade to join the BJP. Alleging the ED was working on the directions of the central government, he demanded that the agency should come out with the list of recoveries it made from his residence, besides others associated with him.

"People have every right to know how much funds, illegal documents, gold, diamonds and other jewels were recovered from premises linked to me," Thakur said. The minister asserted that he will prefer to be hanged to death or spend his life in jail, but will not join the BJP.

He also attacked the Centre for "unleashing central agencies" just before the assembly elections to harass leaders. Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta, too, dubbed the ED searches politically influenced. Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly are expected to be declared soon, with the term of the present Vidhan Sabha coming to an end on January 5.