• Municipal Commissioner (MC), Dhanbad • Joint Secretary, Department of Food, Public Distribution & Consumer Affairs • Director of State Agriculture Department • Deputy Commissioner (DC), Ranchi • Director of Social Welfare and Social Security
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)
in centimeters**- 175 cm** in meters**- 1.75 m** in feet & inches**- 5’ 9”**
Weight (approx.)
in kilograms**- 70 kg** in pounds**- 154 lbs**
Eye Colour
Black
Hair Colour
Black
Personal Life
Date of Birth
29 December 1981 (Tuesday)
Age (as of 2022)
41 Years
Birthplace
Kadma, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand (then Bihar), India
Zodiac sign
Capricorn
Nationality
Indian
Hometown
Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
School
• St Mary's Hindi High School, Bistupur, Jamshedpur (till10th in 1999) • Vidya Bharati Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Telco Colony, Jamshedpur (11th and 12th standard)
College/University
St Stephen's College, Delhi
Educational Qualification
• Bachelor of Science (Honours) (B.Sc.) in Physics with first division and distinction at St Stephen's College, Delhi • Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Physics with first division at St Stephen's College, Delhi check sources ((Supremo - IAS
A case was registered against Chhavi Ranjan in 2015 as it was alleged that he misused his position as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Koderma district. Allegedly, he ordered the officials to cut five Sagvan trees and one Sheesham tree at the premises of the Koderma District Council and got it stored at his house. Although his name was not included in the initial FIR registered at Markacho Police Station, his name was revealed by the workers of the wood sawing company during the interrogation done by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Chhavi was also interrogated by ACB, and his name was added to the chargesheet; however, no action was taken against him, and the case was dissolved as ACB had not taken the required permission to frame the chargesheet. • Army Land Scamcheck sources Hindustan Times check sources Prabhat Khabar check sources The Indian Express check sources Hindustan Times
Chhavi Ranjan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 4 May 2023 after grilling him for 10 hours at the ED office in Ranchi in relation to the illegal purchase and sale of 4.5 acres of the land belonging to the Indian Army and 1 acre of land in the Cheshire Home Road area of Ranchi. ED alleged that Chhavi colluded with a syndicate which included government officials and builders. The scam was discovered by Jayant Karnad, assistant commissioner of Ranchi Municipal Corporation, following which the tax collector of Ranchi Municipal Corporation, Dilip Sharma, lodged an FIR at Bariatu Police Station in 2022. After taking over the investigation, ED raided the Bargain Circle office and the office of the Registrar of Assurances in Kolkata, where they found fake papers related to different pieces of land in Jharkhand. ED claimed that Chhavi was the DC of Ranchi when these papers were forged. In April 2023, ED arrested seven people including Imtiaz Ahmed, Pradeep Bagchi, Talha Khan, Faiyaz Khanangle, Md Saddam Hussain, Afshar Ali, a government hospital employee, and Bhanu Partap Prasad, revenue sub-inspector with the Bargain Circle office in Ranchi.
ED also raided his house and 20 other locations on 13 April 2023 and questioned him on 13 April and 24 April 2023. He was later summoned for questioning on 4 May 2023. When he went to the ED office on 4 May 2023, after questioning for 10 hours, he was arrested by ED.
Relationships & More
Marital Status
Married
Marriage Date
• First Marriage: Year not known (Divorce year: 2022) • Second Marriage: Year: 2022
Chhavi Ranjan is a Jharkhand cadre civil servant (IAS) of the 2011 batch. He is one of the most senior IAS Jharkhand cadre officers and has worked in many offices of the Jharkhand state government. He was arrested on 4 May 2023 for the illegal purchase and sale of land in Ranchi belonging to the Indian Army.
His parents wanted him to become an engineer; however, he wanted to become an IAS officer.
He secured the 125th All India Rank in the 2011 UPSC (IAS) Examination. From 29 August 2011 to 4 May 2012, he received his administrative training as a civil servant at the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie.
From 4 May 2012 to 25 August 2013, he was the Assistant Collector and Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Dumka district where he worked in the land revenue management, district administration, and sub-divisional administration.
Chhavi Ranjan (right) during his initial days as a civil servant
From 26 August 2013 to 26 August 2014, he was posted as the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) in the Chakradharpur area of West Singbhum district of Jharkhand, where he worked in the field of land revenue management, district administration, and sub-divisional administration.
Chhavi Ranjan (extreme left) with Abhishek Singh IAS and Hemant Soren, Chief Minister of Jharkhand (extreme right)
From 26 August 2014 to 13 February 2015, he served as the Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) of the Lohardaga District and worked in the rural development administration.
From 14 February 2015 to 22 December 2015, he was the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Koderma district and worked in the field of land management and district administration.
From 23 December 2015 to 26 June 2016, he was posted as Municipal Commissioner (MC) of the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation and worked in the urban development department.
Chhavi Ranjan during a function of a school
From 27 June 2016 to 13 June 2017, he served as the Joint Secretary in the Department of Food, Public Distribution & Consumer Affairs of the Jharkhand state government.
From 15 June 2017 to 30 June 2019, he was the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Seraikela Kharsawan District and worked in the rural development department.
Chhavi Ranjan spreading awareness about Swachh Bharat Campaign
From 2 July 2019 to 13 July 2020, he was posted as the Director of the Jharkhand agriculture department.
From 15 July 2020 to 9 July 2022, he served as Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Ranchi District and initiated many projects for the well-being of the public including Project Pavitra, Wall of Transparency, Bhoomi Vivad Nivaran, and Sarkar Aapke Dwar.
Chhavi Ranjan during his stint as DC Ranchi
Chhavi Ranjan during his stint as DC in Ranchi
On 11 July 2022, he became the Director of the Social Welfare and Social Security departments of Jharkhand. He was serving as the Director when he was arrested on 4 May 2023.
Chhavi Ranjan (left) during his stint as Director of Social Welfare
When he divorced his first wife and got married to another woman of a different caste, his parents vacated his house, stopped talking to him, and started living separately. check sourcesDainik Bhaskar
He was arrested by ED on 4 May 2023 and was sentenced to 6 days of custody on 5 May 2023 by the local court for further investigation. Jharkhand state government also suspended him following his arrest.
Chhavi Ranjan going to the ED office on 4 May 2023 when he was later arrested
In April 2023, his name was in the race for Election Officer in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections; however, after his name came up during the investigations, his name was dropped from the list. check sources
He is the second IAS officer from Jharkhand after Pooja Singhal
who has been arrested on the charges of corruption.
Do you know Chhavi Ranjan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on 4 May 2023 in connection with illegal purchase and sale of land belonging to the Indian Army in Ranchi?
He was arrested by the ED on 4 May 2023 and later remanded to custody for six days; the Jharkhand government also suspended him.
Do you know Chhavi Ranjan secured the 125th All India Rank in the 2011 UPSC exam?
Yes, he earned the 125th All India Rank in the 2011 UPSC examination and trained at LBSNAA in Mussoorie from late August 2011 to May 2012.
Do you know Chhavi Ranjan is the second IAS officer from Jharkhand to be arrested on corruption charges?
Yes, he is the second Jharkhand IAS officer to face corruption charges, following Pooja Singhal.
Do you know Chhavi Ranjan's marital life includes two marriages in 2022, with a divorce from his first wife?
He divorced his first wife Lovely Ranjan in 2022 and married again in 2022 to a second wife; reportedly his parents vacated his house after this change.