(MENAFN- IANS) Ranchi, Sep 23 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out a series of raids in Ranchi and Delhi as part of its probe into a multi-crore scam involving tribal-owned land.

According to sources, more than six locations in Ranchi and three premises in Delhi came under the scanner of ED sleuths.

Multiple teams have been deployed to examine property documents, financial records, and digital evidence linked to land dealers, builders, and middlemen allegedly involved in the racket.

The Ranchi raids covered several prominent localities, including Kanke Resort in Kanke, Sukhdev Nagar on Ratu Road, Kadru, Bariatu, and Ashok Nagar.

In Delhi, searches were carried out at locations believed to be associated with influential land brokers and their associates.

The crackdown is linked to fraudulent transactions in Chama Mouza under Kanke block, where tribal land was allegedly converted into“general plots” through forged documents and later sold at hefty prices.

Investigators suspect that proceeds from these deals were laundered to project them as legitimate income.

Among those under the ED radar are alleged land mafia Kamlesh Kumar Singh and Kanke Resort owner B.K. Singh, whose premises are being searched.

The raids also extend to individuals closely associated with them, including property dealers and document facilitators.

This is not the first time the agency has acted in the case. On July 10, 2024, an ED team visited Kanke to verify disputed land parcels. During that exercise, investigators scrutinized land records under the Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act, examined government land registers, and recorded local residents' statements.

The present raids are being conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED suspects that forged deeds and fabricated revenue records were used to usurp tribal land, enabling its illegal sale and subsequent laundering of illicit gains through real estate and other investments.

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