CM Soren’s principal secy removed from charges soon after Marandi’s allegations
BJP’s Babulal Marandi had demanded removal of Ekka for allegedly being hand in glove with powerbrokers and clearing official files from the private office of one Vishal Chaudhary whose premise was raided by the enforcement directorate (ED) last year.
RANCHI: The Jharkhand government on Sunday removed chief minister Hemant Soren’s principal secretary and senior IAS officer Rajiv Arun Ekka from his current charges following serious allegations made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party leader Babulal Marandi, a government notification said.
“ The officer is being transferred as principal secretary, panchayati raj, Ranchi,” the notification said.
Marandi on Sunday had demanded removal of Ekka for allegedly being hand in glove with powerbrokers and clearing official files from the private office of one Vishal Chaudhary whose premise was raided by the enforcement directorate (ED) last year.
Addressing reporters at the BJP state headquarters, Marandi released a 22-second video featuring Ekka where he is seen signing a file, besides a two-page document of the department of home, prisons & disaster management, which is also headed by Ekka.
“The video shows the state of affairs in this government. CM’s principal secretary who is also in charge of such a critical department like home affairs was clearing official files from the private office of a middleman. In the ambiance, one can hear someone talking about an exchange of money. I demand the chief minister to immediately remove Ekka from his post, file an FIR and get him arrested,” said Marandi.
“Since Ekka also heads a critical department like home, prisons, and disaster management, Soren should also recommend a CBI probe in this entire incident. A delegation of the BJP would soon be meeting the Governor and urge him to direct the government for a CBI probe. We would also provide a CD of this video and documents to the ED which is already conducting a probe against Chaudhary,” Marandi added.
The two-page document released by Marandi is related to awarding tenders related to home, prisons & disaster management departments.
On a specific question as to when and how he got access to the video, its authenticity, and proof that the video was shot at the premise of Vishal Chaudhary, Marandi said ‘someone’ gave him the video two days back.
“I am speaking with full responsibility about this video. I have credible information about it. Soren keeps alleging that BJP conspires against his government. Did we send his principal secretary to a power broker’s home? I am demanding an impartial probe by an independent agency because authenticity of this video would be established. Either all these questions would get answered in that or else I would be proved wrong,” said Marandi.
Vishal Chaudhary made headlines on May 24 last year when ED raided his residence in the upscale Ashok Nagar area in Ranchi and other locations related to him, within a fortnight after the arrest of senior IAS Pooja Singhal in a money laundering case.
The federal agency, however, has not made any official statement about the raids on Chaudhary, why he was raided and his current whereabouts after the raids last year.
Ekka, meanwhile, did not respond to phone calls and messages seeking his response to the allegation made against him by the former chief minister.