“My life is under threat.” This is the fear expressed by Vijay Hansda from inside the jail in Sahebgunj.

Hansda, who is ED’s prime witness in the illegal mining and money laundering case against Pankaj Mishra, and others had expressed similar fear in the past. This has raised eyebrows among the police in Sahebgunj.

An allegation doing the round is that the police had got an empty paper signed by him. During his interrogation by the ED, Vijay Hansda claimed that he was framed by the police in a fake case of the Arms Act.

Even inside the jail premise, he said, he had received threats made against his life. Those who had threatened him had not only asked him not to be witness in the ED’s case but also told him to withdraw the FIR he had lodged, according to reports.

In his FIR, Hansda alleged that illegal mining perpetrated by CM Hemant Soren’s MLA representative Pankaj Mishra and others was going on in the Sahebgunj area. On the basis of his FIR, the ED started an investigation into illegal mining and its transportation case.

Now, when the ED had charge-sheeted Pankaj Mishra and others, Vijay Hansda has also alleged that he was jailed on a fake Armed case.

On November 11, the police arrested Vijay Hansda and his son Manoj in Sahebgunj. After their arrest, the police issued a press release saying that on a tip-off Hansda and Manoj were threatening villagers.

A police team comprising SI Prakash Ranjan, and ASI Brajnandan Choudhary launched a raid and recovered two country-made guns.

Following their arrest under the Arms Act, Vijay Hansda raised his point of view. He claimed that the police team had come with “these made guns”, filed the fake FIR showing cops had recovered these weapons from their possession and jailed us, claimed Vijay Hansda.” It is part of a big conspiracy.”