The ED is interrogating seven accused linked with IAS officer and ex Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi Chhavi Ranjan.

They are not cooperating.  “ We find them hard nuts to break”, said a source in the ED.

Their interrogation began after the Special ED court in Ranchi on Saturday ordered issuance of four- days remand of seven accused who were arrested in the alleged case of land scam.

After they were brought to the court, the ED’s advocate had sought their remand for five days. But the court allowed their remand for four days.

The seven accused are: Pradeep Bagchi,Circle Inspector of Bardgai block, Bhanu Pratap Prasad,Afsar Ali,Imtiaz Ahmed,Talha Khan, Faiyaz Khan and Saddam Hussain.

They were arrested by the ED, after a day long raids in their premises together with premises 18 persons including the IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand on Thursday.Chhavi Ranjan holds the office of Director, Social Welfare Department, Jharkhand.

The ED raids were conducted in connection with the case of money laundering in the India Army land bought and sold in Bariyatu area.The inquiry report submitted by Commissioner, South Chotanagpur division in Jharkhand, had revealed that Pradeep Bagchi had used fake documents to show himself as owner of the Army’s land and sold it to one Dilip Kumar Ghosh. The FIR was filed.

Subsequently, the case was picked up by the ED whose sleuths gathered evidences showing these accused flourished under the tenure of the then Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan.