Jharkhand crisis HIGHLIGHTS: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren on charges of money laundering shortly after he resigned as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand. This development follows over seven hours of questioning related to alleged money laundering charges in a land fraud case.
Before the arrest, Soren submitted his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan and was subsequently taken to the ED office for further proceedings. Sources indicate that the 48-year-old leader exhibited evasive responses during questioning, leading to his custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED is anticipated to present Soren before a special PMLA court, seeking remand for custodial interrogation. During the second round of questioning, the agency posed 15 questions to Soren, who was initially questioned on January 20.
Prior to his custody, Soren was shown typed statements recorded with the agency, and his signatures were requested on these documents. It remains unclear whether he signed them.
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.
