In a land purchase case involving violations of the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act, a CBI court found 10 persons guilty on Friday, including former Jharkhand minister Anosh Ekka. The agency claims that the accused were convicted of using fictitious addresses to get tribal land in Ranchi district illegally, circumventing the CNT Act’s safeguards intended to safeguard Scheduled Tribes’ rights.
“The Court of Special Judge, CBI, Ranchi, today convicted 10 accused namely – Anosh Ekka, Menon Ekka, Kartik Prabhat, Raj Kishore Singh, Firoz Akhtar, Brijesh Mishra, Anil Kumar, Manilal Mahta, Brajesh Mahto and Parshuram Karketta in a land acquisition case in violation of CNT Act,” the CBI said in a statement.
In accordance with directives from the Jharkhand High Court, the agency lodged the case against former ministers Hari Narain Rai and Anosh Ekka and others on August 11, 2010, in relation to two public interest lawsuits that were brought in 2008 and 2009.
According to the CBI, Anosh Ekka spent more than ₹1.18 crore between 2006 and 2008 to buy sizable parcels of land in Ranchi under the name of his wife, Menon Ekka. According to the statement, these properties were purchased from Scheduled Tribe members in violation of land conservation regulations.
The Land Reforms Deputy Collector, Ranchi, granted clearance to the plot dealers. “Despite the facts, the LRDCs, their employees, and the circle officers conspired with Menon and Anosh Ekka and suggested that she be given the land. For the land transfer, the LRDC received a positive feedback from the employees working under him, according to the statement.
On December 10, 2012, the CBI submitted a charge sheet against 16 defendants after the investigation was over. On the following hearing date, which is set for August 30, the court will hear arguments regarding the sentence.