After grilling him in connection with the “ clean chit” given by him to Congress leader and Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam and Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s representative from his Barhait constituency, Pankaj Mishra, in Barharwa toll plaza case shortly after the case was registered against him, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned Dy.SP Pramod Kumar Mishra on September 4. 

Whether DY.SP Pramod Kumar Mishra will abide by the ED’s summon is not known,the case in which he has been interrogated by the central agency was lodged by one Sambhu Nandan. 

Nandan had claimed that he was prevented from taking part in the tender for the contract of the toll plaza. 

The ED is investigating the case from money laundering angle as Rs 1000 crore illegal stone and other minerals were navigated through this toll plaza. 

The ED investigation in the toll plaza case has revealed that Mishra who was posted in Sahibganj as Dy.SP whose jurisdiction covered the site of the toll plaza, had asked the investigating officer, Sarfuddin Khan, “ not to investigate” against Minister Alam and CM’s representative Pankaj Mishra. 

 Dy.SP Pankaj Kumar Mishra had allegedly directed Investigating Officer not to collect “ the digital evidences including call records of the accused persons including Pankaj Mishra who having been denied bail is in jail. Earlier, the ED had summoned Dy.SP Mishra on December 12,2022, but the latter did not appear.

The central agency again summoned him to appear on December 15,2022, but the state government filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court against the order but the apex court directed that the matter be heard in the Jharkhand High Court. 

However, after the Jharkhand High Court directed Dy.SP Mishra to appear before the ED, the latter issued summons to him on February 28,2023 asking him to face the queries connected with the case.

Now, again he has been summoned on September 4,2023. Prior to him, the ED has issued second summon to the CM Hemant Soren to appear before it on August 24,2023.

Resounding to its first summon asking him to appear before it on August 14, CM Soren had preferred not to appear on ground of his busy schedule linked with the Independence Day.