The ED has uncovered new evidences in Peyjal Scam with which IAS officer Manish Ranjan is back under investigation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has unearthed fresh evidence in its probe into the ₹2.71 crore fraud case involving Jharkhand’s Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, with the total scam now estimated at ₹22.93 crore.
Ranchi, Jharkhand: The Peyjal (Drinking Water) scam investigation has taken a serious turn after ED officials recovered suspicious documents during a raid at the residence of IAS officer Manish Ranjan (2002 batch, Jharkhand cadre). The findings suggest deeper financial irregularities and possible money laundering linked to the high-profile corruption case.
Ranjan served as Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation from October 2022 to January 2024. During his tenure, an FIR was filed at Ranchi’s Sadar Police Station on December 28, 2023, accusing Santosh Kumar, then a cashier-cum-additional divisional clerk in the Swarnarekha Division, of fraudulently siphoning off ₹2.71 crore.
Coded Transactions & Corporate Ties: Ranjan’s Wife Under Scrutiny
Among the seized documents, ED officials found four pages detailing suspicious transactions under the code name “SURAT”, suspected to be linked to illicit payments. Investigators also discovered that Ranjan’s wife is associated with two companies—she serves as a director in one private firm and a legal manager in another.
One of these companies, Sand Cube Infrastructure Private Limited, was incorporated in Jharkhand in December 2017. The ED is now probing whether these corporate links were used to channel or conceal illegal funds.
A Repeat Offender? Ranjan’s History with Corruption Probes
This isn’t the first time Ranjan has been embroiled in a corruption scandal. During an earlier investigation into Rural Development Department tender irregularities, his name allegedly appeared as “M” in a coded diary maintained by Sanjeev Lal, the then-minister Alamgir Alam’s personal secretary. Lal reportedly confirmed that “M” referred to Manish Ranjan, prompting the ED to summon the IAS officer for questioning.
Cashier’s Bombshell: “Ranjan Took a Cut of the Kickbacks”
In a major breakthrough, a cashier from the Peyjal Department told ED investigators that Ranjan received a share of the bribes distributed among officials. Following this revelation, the ED conducted fresh raids at Ranjan’s residence, seizing additional documents tied to clandestine financial dealings.
Ranjan has since submitted a written defense to the Adjudicating Authority, denying all allegations and claiming innocence.
Engineer’s Dubious Cash Hoard: “Gifts” or Scam Money?
The ED also raided the home of engineer Niranjan Kumar, another suspect in the case, recovering ₹5.53 lakh in cash. Kumar and his wife claimed the money was “gifts from relatives” over several years, citing Section 17 of the PMLA.
However, investigators noted inconsistencies—the couple failed to provide verifiable proof of these gifts, and the cash was not declared in their income tax returns, raising suspicions of unaccounted money linked to the scam.
