ED witness in Jharkhand illegal mining case turns hostile in court
Hansda, who had told ED that MLA representative of CM Soren, Pankaj Mishra, had threatened him of dire consequences after he raised voice against illegal mining, submitted before the court that Mishra never misbehaved with him or threatened him.
A key witness of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) witness in the Jharkhand illegal mining case, Vijay Hansda, has turned hostile during before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) special court in Ranchi.
His main examination took place on Tuesday, while his cross examination was held on Wednesday.
An advocate present in the trial court informed said the cross examination would continue on Thursday too.
Hansda, who hogged limelight after he filed a complaint before the district court about illegal mining at Nimbu Pahad in Sahibganj district, alleging that a section of people close to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren were involved in it, and later filed a petition seeking probe by an independent agency in the matter before the Jharkhand High Court, took a U-turn, saying he did not have any information of illegal mining at the said location.
Hansda, who had told ED that MLA representative of CM Soren, Pankaj Mishra, had threatened him of dire consequences after he raised voice against illegal mining, submitted before the court that Mishra never misbehaved with him or threatened him.
“When Hansda was being examined, main accused in the case, Bacchu Yadav, was present before the court, while other accused were represented by their advocates,” said the advocate quoted above, who did not wish to be named.
An ED official said Hansda was regularly changing his statements.
“When Hansda first complained about unlawful mining at Nimbu Pahad, ED took up the issue. Later, the district police detained him in connection with a criminal investigation. A paper stating his desire to drop the lawsuit went viral at the time of his detention. Later, he claimed his signature was forcibly taken in the jail and denied ever intending to withdraw his lawsuit,” he said.
“When he was granted bail, he filed a fresh petition before the HC to withdraw the case, demanding a probe by an independent agency. He made frivolous allegations against his advocates, stating that he had never given his consent for that petition. But the court of Justice Sanjay Dwivedi had rejected his petition and, on August 24, directed the CBI to do a preliminary enquiry and submit a report within a month,” a person familiar with the matter said.
