The Jharkhand High Court on Friday said that the recent police action at the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) office in Ranchi prima facie looked “pre-planned” and intervened in the matter by staying the ongoing police investigation against the ED officials. The court also ordered that extra security be deployed to protect the ED office and its officers.

The case relates to an FIR registered at the Airport police station by a former Jharkhand government employee, Santosh Kumar, against some ED officers. While hearing the writ petition filed by the ED, the High Court observed that the police raid seemed to be carried out in a planned manner rather than as an ordinary law-and-order action.

Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwide heard the ED’s petition and said the recent police raid on the central agency’s Ranchi office prima facie appeared “pre-planned.” The court put a stay on the police investigation that had started based on Santosh Kumar’s FIR.

The High Court directed that the Union Home Secretary be added as a party in the case. It also ordered that central armed police forces such as the CRPF or BSF, or any appropriate paramilitary units, be deployed to ensure the safety of the ED office and its officers.

On the question of local policing, the court instructed Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rakesh Ranjan to make sure that adequate security arrangements are in place at the ED office. The judge further warned that if there was any lapse in security, the SSP of Ranchi would be held directly responsible.

In its plea, the Enforcement Directorate argued that the state police’s actions interfered with its work as a central investigative agency. The ED had approached the High Court on Thursday seeking a CBI probe into the raid, claiming that the police intrusion hampered its ongoing investigation.

During the court proceedings, the ED’s counsel told the bench that the central agency was investigating an alleged scam involving Rs 23 crore linked to Santosh Kumar. The lawyer said that the ED had already recovered Rs 9 crore in connection with that matter.

The High Court’s order underscored its concern about the manner in which the police action was executed at the ED premises. By tagging the police move as seeming pre-planned, the court’s intervention highlights the sensitive nature of the conflict between state authorities and a central law enforcement agency.

The court’s directive for additional security deployment and its decision to stay the police investigation are aimed at maintaining law and order around the Enforcement Directorate office in Ranchi, where tensions have risen after the controversial police operation.

The next steps in the legal process will be closely watched, as the High Court’s observations have temporarily halted the police inquiry against the ED officers and shifted focus to ensuring protection for central agency personnel.