A day after Enforcement Directorate raid at his Delhi residence, Jharkahnd Chief Minister Hemant Soren held meeting with ruling alliance MLAs at his Ranchi residence on Tuesday, 30 January.
Soren's wife, Kalpana Soren, was also a part of the meeting.
ED officials landed at Soren's doorstep in Delhi to question him as part of a money laundering probe into alleged illegal mining in Jharkhand. However, the regional party leader was reportedly not home on Monday.
After the conclusion of the meeting, Jharkhand Minister and JMM leader Mithilesh Thakur said, "We are from the alliance, we are running the government. Such meetings are normal. We discussed how to run the government and meet people's expectations," quoted news agency ANI.
Soren also wrote a letter to ED accusing it of being "motivated by a political agenda."
"All your questions were in the nature of a roving enquiry about the undersigned's assets which, the undersigned is advised, is not permissible under Section 50 of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act)," the letter dated 28 January read.
"In these circumstances, your insistence to record a further statement of the undersigned on or before 31 January 2024 reeks of malice and reveals your political agenda to disrupt the functioning of the State Government and prevent an elected representative of the people from discharging his official duties," Soren said in the letter to ED.
Earlier, on 20 January, Soren was subjected to seven hours of questioning by the ED at his residence in the state capital of Ranchi. On 27 January, he reportedly left for Delhi for personal work, according to his party.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief has reportedly agreed to record a statement before the probe agency on Wednesday, 31 January. Meanwhile, security was beefed up outside the CM's house, Raj Bhavan, and central government offices in Ranchi.
Alleging that the ED was targeting Soren, JMM party workers held a massive rally on Monday in various parts of the state, including Jamshedpur.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supporters take out a march in support of their leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren over ED teams reaching his New Delhi residence in connection with a money laundering case in Ranchi on Monday, 29 January.
(Photo: PTI)
'Ran Away': BJP Questions Soren's Whereabouts
“According to media sources, late at night Hemant ji, wearing slippers and covering his face with a sheet, ran away from his Delhi residence on foot. Ajay Singh, the security personnel of special branch who went with him to Delhi, is also missing,” Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“The mobile phones of both of them have also been switched off. Since then, the ED and Delhi Police are searching for them. There cannot be any other example of such gross negligence regarding the security of the chief minister,” the former Jharkhand CM said.
"What could be more worrying and shameful that the chief minister of a state, who is holding a constitutional post, breaks the protocol and absconds," BJP leader Marandi said.
In response, JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said, "The CM went to Delhi for some personal work and he will be back. But, the ED action is uncalled for and unconstitutional. It seems that the move is politically motivated."
Calling the ED's actions a “well-designed conspiracy," Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur said, “Attempts are being made to create a perception that the President's rule will be imposed in the state. People are spreading rumours that the CM is missing."
What Is the 'Land Scam' in Jharkhand?
The ED is investigating an alleged multi-crore scam, wherein documents dating back to over 100 years were reportedly forged and transactions were made around it. The land scam in Jharkhand came to light early last year and allegedly involves the chief minister.
According to a report by News18, the alleged land scam includes at least 35 properties allegedly in possession of Soren. The agency has arrested 14 people linked to the case, including 2011 batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan.
The ED, since 2022, has also been investigating a trail of Rs 100 crore of "proceeds of crime" linked to illegal stone-mining operations in Jharkhand and probing the alleged involvement of Soren and members of the JMM.
In July 2022, the ED raided Soren’s political aide Pankaj Mishra and his alleged associates across 19 locations in Sahibganj, Barhet, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki, and Barharwa to probe alleged illegal mining and irregularities in toll plaza tenders in Jharkhand.
In November last year, Mishra was booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with alleged illegal mining in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand.
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