The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced today that Kanke Circle Officer (CO) Jai Kumar Ram deleted online land records of at least 140 acres during the agency’s raids on journalist-turned-land dealer Kamlesh Kumar on June 21. The ED has since obtained logs from the NIC server showing the deletion of 20 records related to these properties.
These lands, located in Kanke Mouza, were allegedly inserted illegally and without authorization by the Circle Officer in collusion with Kamlesh Kumar and others. The ED has filed a petition seeking Kamlesh’s custodial interrogation for 10 days.
Kamlesh was arrested on July 26 and appeared in a PMLA court today, which remanded him to judicial custody, with a decision on the ED’s remand request expected on Monday.
ED sources have indicated that Kamlesh may be linked to what could be Ranchi’s “biggest land scam.” He is said to have facilitated land acquisitions for influential individuals in Chama, a locality within the Kanke area. The scam involves illegal transactions concerning both government and private lands, allegedly orchestrated by a network of government officials, middlemen, and real estate developers manipulating land records.
Describing Kamlesh Kumar, 33, as a habitual offender, the ED noted his involvement in criminal activities aimed at illegally acquiring land. Several documents show him acting as an identifier, witness, or power of attorney holder in these transactions.
The investigation has revealed that Kamlesh and his accomplices have generated and acquired proceeds of crime worth several crores. The ongoing scrutiny of collected documents is expected to increase the estimated amount of illicit gains.
During searches, the ED seized cash totaling Rs1,02,18,000 from Kamlesh’s premises, linked to his illegal land dealings. Additionally, 100 live cartridges were recovered, further suggesting their use in unlawful transactions.
The ED emphasized the necessity of Kamlesh’s custodial interrogation to trace the flow of illegal proceeds and to uncover the roles of both him and his accomplices in acquiring land through illicit means.
