The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Preeti Kumar, wife of a senior IAS Avinash Kumar, in a case related to alleged irregularities in land deal in Ranchi and money laundering. This is probably for the first time that ED has summoned wife of an IAS officer. Preeti Kumar has been asked to report to the regional office of ED on Friday. Earlier, ED has asked Kumar to appear before the central agency on January 3, but she didn't turn up.Preeti Kumar is wife of Avinash Kumar, who powerful office in Jharkhand government.
Who is Avinash Kumar?
Avinash Kumar is a 1993 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre. He is currently serving as additional chief secretary energy with additional charge of development commissioner and home department. He is also chairman and managing director of Jharkhand Energy Development Corporation and managing director of Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited. Kumar is considered to be close to chief minister Hemant Soren, who is also being probed by ED.
Avinash Kumar is younger brother of Amitabh Thakur, who was 1992 batch IPS officer of UP cadre. Thakur was sent on compulsory retirement by the Uttar Pradesh government in March 2021 in the public interest.
The case
The case is related land on which Berlin Diagnostics and Day Care is constructed. The diagnostics and day care is in the name of Preeti Kumar's. On December 5, ED had conducted a survey in Berlin Diagnostics and Day Care. The officials had also measured area of the land.
During the survey, ED officials examined the documents of Berlin Diagnostics and Day Care.
The entire matter is related to 12 katta land of khata number-54, plot number-2711 of Badagain area of Ranchi. ED officials found that the parking of the hospital is constructed on government land. Now ED believes that the entire hospital is constructed on illegally occupied land.
The ED acted on the information that the land had been purchased allegedly in clandestine manner. The purchase price of the land was much below the market price. It was told that Dr. Nalini Ranjan Sinha and Usha Sinha were mentioned as first purchasers of this land, which was later purchased by Preeti Kumar and T M Thakur, who is father of Avinash Kumar.
Later TM Thakur surrendered the land through a registered deed before Preeti Kumar. It was told that the land has been purchased for Rs 1 crore whereas its actual value is several crores of rupees.
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