Federal probe agency, Directorate of Enforcement (ED), issued another summons to former minister Rameshwar Oraon and his son Rohit Oraon for its money laundering probe into Jharkhand’s liquor scam.
The probe agency has asked Rohit Oraon to appear at its zonal office on July 6 and Rameshwar Oraon on July 7.
The probe agency intends to know the circumstances in which the finance department under Rameshwar Oraon initially raised several official objections and returned the excise policy file but later signed and approved it. The probe agency wants to know whether the work was done under pressure from Rohit Oraon, acting on behalf of an active liquor syndicate or something else.
Rohit, who had skipped his first summons issued on June 25 for his appearance on June 29, confirmed the summons, saying he will appear this time.
“I had sought three weeks’ time on June 29 as I received the official summons letter on June 25 directing me to appear on June 29 with documents. Due to the intervening Muharram holiday and the fourth Saturday, it was impossible for me to arrange the required documentation in time. The probe agency granted me one week’s time, and this time my father and I decided to turn up before it with documents,” Oraon said.
The summons stem from an investigation into a liquor syndicate indirectly controlled by businessman Yogendra Tiwari before the rollout of the Excise Policy 2022.
{{/usCountry}}The summons stem from an investigation into a liquor syndicate indirectly controlled by businessman Yogendra Tiwari before the rollout of the Excise Policy 2022.
{{/usCountry}}During state-wide raids conducted on August 23, 2023, ED officials searched multiple properties tied to the Oraon family. Probe agency recovered ₹20 lakh in cash from Rohit Oraon’s premises. While investigators found that Rohit had entered into business agreements regarding the state’s liquor trade, he did not formally launch operations.
The ED has already submitted its first prosecution report in the case, charting how specific companies tightly controlled wholesale licenses across multiple districts.
The probe agency sought his PAN card, details of movable and immovable properties, and other relevant documents related to his assets.