Jharkhand: ED seeks 10-day remand of former CM Hemant Soren, next hearing today

Jharkhand Minister Banna Gupta said, "We could not go because of poor visibility. We will fight against them (BJP)..."

SC sets up special 3-judge bench to hear JMM leader Hemant Soren's plea against arrest by Enforcement Directorate in money laundering case. 

Amid uncertainty over the formation of government in the state, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress-RJD alliance is planning to shift their MLAs outside Jharkhand.A bus carrying the MLAs of the alliance was seen outside Ranchi airport.

JMM-led coalition MLAs in Jharkhand unable to fly to Hyderabad due to unfavourable weather conditions leading to cancellation of all flights from Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport.

The plan of JMM-led coalition MLAs to fly to Hyderabad from Ranchi amid a political crisis in Jharkhand was cancelled as the chartered planes hired for it could not take off due to poor visibility, sources said. Leaders of the coalition said that shifting the legislators to Hyderabad was needed to prevent any poaching attempt by the BJP.

Telangana: Buses placed outside Begumpet airport in Hyderabad. MLAs of JMM-led ruling alliance in Jharkhand have departed from Ranchi Airport and are likely to reach Hyderabad soon.

Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur said, "We are going to the airport. You know what kind of people they are, they can do anything anytime. A total of 43 MLAs are going."

"Our (JMM-Congress) alliance is very strong," says Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Champai Soren after a meeting with Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

Leader of JMM legislative party, Champai Soren said, "We have demanded from the Governor that the process to start the formation of the new Government should begin. The Governor has also assured us that the process will begin soon. Currently, we have submitted the report with 43 MLAs in our support. We expect that the number will reach 46-47 so there is no problem. Our 'gathbandhan' is very strong."

After meeting Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Leader of JMM legislative party, Champai Soren says "We have demanded that the process to start the formation of the Government should begin. He (Governor) said that the process will begin soon..."

Leader of JMM legislative party, Champai Soren and other party leaders come out of the Raj Bhavan after meeting Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

Champai Soren meets Jharkhand Governor at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi today. JMM claimed support of 43 MLAs. 

JMM General Secretary Suproyo Bhattacharya along with Leader of the JMM legislative party, Champai Soren reach Raj Bhavan to meet Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

Jharkhand: Leader of JMM legislative party, Champai Soren reaches Raj Bhavan in Ranchi, to meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

BJP hits out at Soren with 'cut money' jibe:

The family members of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren are involved in corruption. He possessed several mining licenses after doing illegal activities: BJP.

A dozen land parcels in Ranchi measuring about 8.5 acres in total are in "illegal possession, occupation and use" of arrested former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and are proceeds of crime under the anti-money laundering law, the Enforcement Directorate has claimed. Soon after he resigned as chief minister, Soren was arrested by the ED on Wednesday night. The agency had questioned him for over seven hours during the day.

ED demands 10 days remand of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren but the order has been reserved; next hearing to take place tomorrow. 

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, sent to one-day judicial custody. 

Situation of confusion in Jharkhand, no government for 18 hours after CM's resignation: JMM leader Champai Soren in his letter to Governor.

The Supreme Court today agreed to urgently list the plea filed by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Soren resigned from his post on Wednesday after the ED arrested him as the central anti-money laundering agency was not satisfied with his answers to queries. A Bench presided over by Chief Justice of India (CJI), DY Chandrachud, agreed to list the matter for hearing on Friday (February 2) after a mention was made on Soren’s behalf by senior advocate Kapil Sibal. Seeking an urgent hearing, Sibal questioned the manner in which the ED sleuths arrested the sitting Chief Minister of a state.

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Jharkhand Governor gives the time of 5:30 pm to Leader of JMM legislative party, Champai Soren to meet him at the Raj Bhavan.

Hemant Soren produced in Ranchi court by ED.

The legislature party leaders like Champai Soren , congress CLP Alamgir Alam, RJD leader and the lone mla satyanand bhokta and CPIML mla vinod Singh to stay in Ranchi. Others (around 35 MLA) to be moved out if needed.

Two chartered planes booked for shifting JMM-led alliance MLAs in Jharkhand to Hyderabad to prevent BJP's poaching attempt, said sources. 

(Input from Abhay Parashar)

On the current political situation in the state, Jharkhand Congress leader Shilpi Neha Tirkey says, "We have full majority, so why is the Governor not calling us?"

BJP's Nishikant Dubey said, "There are only 35 Hyderabad-bound MLAs in Ranchi Circuit House. Sarfaraz Ahmed is not an MLA and Hemant Soren ji is in jail. Now all the MLAs will go to Raj Bhavan, from there they are being herded to the airport like cows and goats. In the absence of JMM national president Shibu Soren, who will take this decision of the leader of the legislature party? According to information, Shibu Soren wants to make Basant Soren the Chief Minister."

On the law and order situation in the state in view of the current political turmoil, Ranchi SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha says, "Extensive deployment has been made. The situation is peaceful. Police personnel have been deployed at around 150 places. Over 2,000 police personnel have been deployed."

Last night, Mallikarjun Kharge called Congress and JMM leaders in Jharkhand. They were informed at 3 am in the morning to shift to Telangana. JMM leaders said that they should wait for a while, because if the Governor's invitation comes, they will have to reach soon. Congress and JMM MLAs are likely to move to Hyderabad in two special planes, said sources. 

(Input from Abhay Parashar)

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, "This is PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah's politics of harassment and revenge. We have time and again reiterated that ED and CBI are the brothers of PM Modi, and he is extensively misusing these two agencies... They are doing this to trouble their opponents. This is a strategy and is against democratic politics and the Constitution. We will fight against this. We are not afraid... When they lose in 2024, we will use ED and CBI against them."

On ED action against Hemant Soren, Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi says, "Had Hemant Soren joined the NDA there would have been a different scene. He would have been washed through BJP's washing machine... BJP has created an authoritarian, absolutist and autocratic system in the world's largest democracy... I want to ask a fundamental constitutional legal question for which we have only received stunning silence...Yesterday in the Jharkhand assembly where the whole world knows that the figures are roughly 47 or 48 majority and roughly 33 or 32 opposition. After the chief minister had submitted his resignation to the governor and a new chief minister with the numbers known was proposed. Why has the governor been paralyzed into inaction for the last 18 hours?..."

The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday heard a petition filed by former chief minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. 

Former union minister Kapil Sibal, appearing virtually for Soren, told the court that the JMM leader was wrongly arrested by the ED. He submitted before the court seeking more time to advance his arguments.

Hemant Soren moves Supreme Court challenging his arrest in money laundering case.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha executive president and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren cliamed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) tried to tarnish his image by conducting raids at his Delhi residence. Soren had said in a video message recorded just before his arrest. READ

Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren before his arrest by ED yesterday said, "Most probably ED will arrest me today, but I am not worried as I am Shibu Soren's son...After a full day of questioning, they decided to arrest me in matters which are not related to me. No evidence has been by them found yet. They also tried to spoil my image by conducting raids at my Delhi residence. We have to fight a new fight now against those who commit atrocities against the poor, Adivasis, Dalit and the innocent..."

After being elected as JMM legislative leader, Champai Soren in Ranchi said, "We will continue to work to safeguard the pride of Jharkhand. We have staked claim to form the government in the state. We have the support of 47 MLAs. You have seen how the voice of the Adivasis here has been suppressed over the years."

On the political situation in Jharkhand, BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav says, "ED (Enforcement Directorate) action on Hemant Soren is absolutely right. Next, is Kejriwal's number."

Morning visuals from Enforcement Directorate's office in Ranchi.

Following the arrest of Hemant Soren, top leaders of the opposition  I.N.D.I.A. bloc met on Wednesday evening and discussed the situation arising. The meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence was attended by Sonia Gandhi, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and DMK leader T R Baalu, among others.

Soren's Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is an ally of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), formed by more than two dozen opposition parties to take on the BJP unitedly in the Lok Sabha elections due in April-May.

"ED, CBI, IT etc. are no longer government agencies, now they have become BJP's 'eliminate opposition cell'. The BJP itself, steeped in corruption, is running a campaign to destroy democracy in its obsession with power," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Protesting against the arrest of former CM Hemant Soren, several tribal outfits gave a call for Jharkhand bandh on Thursday.

Allegations of money laundering against Soren revolve around the illegal possession of certain immovable assets and alleged connections with members of the 'land mafia.' The investigation is linked to a significant racket involving the illegal change of land ownership by the mafia in Jharkhand.

The ED has arrested 14 individuals in connection with the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, who previously served as the director of the state's Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi. Additionally, an employee of the Jharkhand land revenue department, Bhanu Prasad Prasad, has also been arrested by the agency in connection with the case.

The ED's investigation focuses on the alleged manipulation of official records to generate substantial proceeds of crime by portraying dummy sellers and purchasers through forged/bogus documents, acquiring vast land parcels with values in crores.

Jharkhand Transport Minister Champai Soren, who was named as JMM legislative party leader on Wednesday, said he staked claim to form the new government in Jharkhand with the support of 47 legislators. READ

JMM-led coalition proposed the name of senior leader Champai Soren as the new state head. Champai has been a legislator from the Seraikella Assembly constituency for more than three decades since 1991 and is known to be a loyalist of JMM supremo Shibu Soren. READ

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday night, said that he would not accept defeat and keep fighting. Taking to X, he jotted down some lines written by poet and academic Shivmangal Singh Suman, implying that he stands defiant in difficult times.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLAs elected state minister Champai Soren as the leader of the legislative party, paving the way for him to be the next Chief Minister of the state. JMM's Champai Soren to be the new Chief Minister of Jharkhand. READ

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested JMM leader Hemant Soren after over seven hours of questioning on money laundering charges in an alleged land fraud case. Before his arrest, Soren tendered his resignation as Jharkhand chief minister to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan and was then taken to the ED office here. READ

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate officials at his residence in Ranchi in a money laundering case related to a land deal, resigned from his post on Wednesday. Soren, who has been chief minister of Jharkhand from December 2019 to January 2024, is facing serious charges in the money laundering case related to a land deal. The resignation comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. READ