Money laundering case: A team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), who arrived at the official residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the national capital on early Monday morning, has recovered many 'important documents' related to an alleged land scam case.
"The ED team has seized several crucial documents related to the case from Hemant Soren's house, which were handed over to other ED officials by one officer in a bag outside the car. The ED team is still inside the house conducting a search throughout the premises," said sources.
'Hemant Soren not at home'
According to sources, Soren is not present at his house in Shanti Niketan. However the ED team has been present here since 7 am, and the search is going on.
ED trying to contact Jharkhand CM
"We had received information about Chief Minister Hemant Soren being in Delhi. Today, the CM was asked to appear before the ED. The ED team went to Shantiniketan, Motilal Nehru Marg, and the Jharkhand Bhavan in the morning, but the CM was not available. The ED is trying to contact the CM, but they have not been able to establish contact with him," said top ED sources.
On Saturday night, Soren went on an unplanned visit to Delhi after the ED issued a fresh summons, asking him to join the investigation in the case.
As per the sources, CM Soren's chartered plane is present at the GA (General Aviation) terminal of Delhi airport and he was supposed to return to Jharkhand today.
"But CM Soren did not reach the airport. CM Soren is not present at Shantiniketan, Motilal Nehru Residence, or Jharkhand Bhavan. The ED team is conducting a search at the Shantiniketan residence. The ED team had also arrived at Jharkhand Bhavan in the morning and inquired at the reception about the whereabouts of the Chief Minister," said sources.
Fresh summons to Soren
ED is repeatedly sending summons to interrogate the Chief Minister in connection with buying and selling of land by forging documents and illegal occupation of tribal land.
Soren, who is on an unplanned visit to Delhi, was issued a fresh summons by the ED on January 27, asking him to again join the investigation in the money laundering case. The probe agency had asked to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 (Monday) or January 31 (Wednesday), but since there was no official response, it issued a fresh letter-cum-summons to the 48-year-old politician.
ED has issued its tenth summons to Chief Minister Soren. The ED has asked Soren to be available for questioning on January 29 or 31, or else the agency itself will go to him for questioning.
ED recorded Soren's statement
The ED recorded Soren's statement for the first time in the case on January 20 after its investigators went to his official residence in Ranchi. The statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during the nearly seven hours the investigators spent at his home.
On January 20, ED had interrogated CM Hemant Soren for about 7-8 hours. Still, the ED inquiry was not completed. It has been learned that the fresh summons was issued as the questioning had not been completed that day.
ED arrested 14 people
The investigation pertains to a huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia in Jharkhand, according to the agency.
The matter is related to the purchase and sale of land occupied by the army. Army land was bought and sold in Jharkhand on the basis of a fake name and address. Ranchi Municipal Corporation had lodged an FIR in this regard. ED had started the investigation by registering the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on the basis of the same FIR.
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested 14 people in connection with the case, including Chhavi Ranjan, a 2011-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who had previously served as the director of the state social welfare department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.
