Ranchi: The Jharkhand high court on Tuesday reserved its order in a petition filed by officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against an investigation into a case registered against them at the Airport Police Station in the state capital. ED officials were accused in an FIR filed by Santosh Kumar, alleging that he was assaulted by the officers in the ED office on Jan 12. The police on Jan 15 conducted a raid in the ED office at 6 am.ED assistant director Pratik and assistant enforcement officer Shubham Bharti moved the Jharkhand high court, challenging the FIR registered against them and seeking an independent CBI probe into the matter. The officers said that Santosh, an employee in the drinking water and sanitation department, is under the scanner for a Rs 23 crore scam investigated by the ED.The ED already recovered Rs 9 crore from Santosh, after which, out of ill will and grudge, he lodged a false case against the ED officers.The court of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, while hearing the matter on Jan 16 this year, clamped a stay on the investigation of the FIR lodged against the ED officials. The court then observed that it cannot be a “mute spectator” to the developments involving a raid in the office of the ED by the police.The HC, while hearing the writ petition, ordered the Union home secretary to depute the CISF/BSF or any other paramilitary force for providing security to the ED office and its officers. The court also ordered the Ranchi senior superintendent of police to ensure security of the ED officers.The court, after hearing the matter at length, reserved its order.
