Land scam case: A special PMLA court in Ranchi on Wednesday (February 7) extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by five days in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader on February 2 was remanded to five days' ED custody by the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case which ended today.
The federal agency had requested a seven-day remand, which was opposed by the defense. "The Enforcement Directorate had prayed for seven days' remand, which we vehemently opposed. The ED was granted five days' remand," Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan told reporters.
Amidst tight security, the Enforcement Directorate escorted the former Chief Minister to the civil court in Ranchi. Soren acknowledged his supporters by waving at them, while they chanted slogans such as 'Hemant Soren Zindabad' (Long live Hemant Soren) and 'Jail Ka Darwaja Tootega, Hemant Bhaiya Chootega' (The doors of jail will break, brother Hemant will be released).
Hemant Soren arrested
The Enforcement Directorate arrested him shortly after he resigned from his position as the chief minister on the night of January 31 night after more than seven hours of questioning related to an alleged land fraud case.
Notably, the Jharkhand High Court will hear a petition by arrested ex-chief minister Hemant Soren against the ED action on February 12, his counsel Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan said. Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in a money laundering case. The High Court also asked the ED to file its reply to Soren's petition. Earlier on February 2, the JMM leader was remanded to ED custody by a special PMLA court in Ranchi for five days.
About the case
The allegations of money laundering against the JMM leader pertain to the alleged illegal possession of certain immovable assets apart from his purported links with members of the 'land mafia'. The investigation is linked to a "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand, according to the central probe agency.
The ED has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state's Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.
The ED is probing the alleged "huge amounts of proceeds of crime generated by manipulation of official records by showing dummy sellers and purchasers in the guise of forged/ bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores''.
Also Read: Champai Soren proves majority, wins trust vote by 47-29 in Jharkhand Assembly
