In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court dismissed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea challenging the bail granted to an accused in a notorious land scam case involving 4.55 acres of land purportedly belonging to the Indian Army in Ranchi. The accused, Dilip Ghosh, was implicated in a scheme that allegedly involved the creation of false property documents to facilitate the sale of the land.
The bench, consisting of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, ruled on Friday that the November 28, 2023, Jharkhand High Court order granting bail to Ghosh would not serve as a precedent for other co-accused in the case. They stated, “Under the circumstances, without expressing any opinions on the merits of the case, we clarify that the impugned judgment and order passed by the high court shall not be cited as a precedent in case of other co-accused.”
The Supreme Court’s decision comes amidst ongoing allegations linking Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is also out on bail, to a broader money laundering investigation stemming from the same land scam. The court emphasized that the observations made in the high court’s decision should not influence the trial court or special court during the upcoming trial.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court directed the special court to expedite the trial, noting that charges against Ghosh and other co-accused have already been framed, and the trial is set to commence shortly. The bench also granted the ED the liberty to seek cancellation of Ghosh’s bail if any of the imposed bail conditions are violated or if any delay tactics are employed by him.
The case traces back to allegations that a land parcel was sold by individuals who were not the rightful owners, using fabricated documents. According to the ED, Afshar Ali and accomplices created a fake deed claiming ownership of the land, which was then sold to M/s. Jagatbandhu Tea Estate Pvt Ltd (JTEPL), where Ghosh is a director, for Rs 7 crore—a fraction of its alleged actual value of over Rs 20 crore due to ongoing litigation with the Indian Army.
