New Delhi:

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is being questioned by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers at his residence in reference to a cash laundering case.

The probe company officers arrived at his official residence on Kanke Road in Ranchi right now morning. Three officers from Delhi are additionally a part of the staff.

The investigation pertains to a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand, in line with the ED.

The company has to this point arrested 14 individuals within the case, together with 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who has served because the director of the state Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

The Chief Minister was issued a ‘final alternative’ by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to document his assertion on an alleged land rip-off days in the past. Soren, in flip, replied to the company, labelling the summons as ‘unlawful.’

“Since you have not come to the office of the Directorate of Enforcement in obedience to the summonses issued to you, we are giving you this last opportunity to record your statement under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, at the place, date and time, mutually convenient to you as well as the undersigned (ED), which should be within 7 days of receipt of this notice/Summons,” stated the ED in its summons.
Soren was summoned by the ED earlier in mid-August, 2023, in reference to a land ‘rip-off’ case.

However, the CM ignored the summons, claiming that he was busy with the state’s Independence Day celebrations. He was requested once more to seem on August 24 and September 9 however he skipped the dates, citing preoccupations.

The company then issued its fourth summons to the Jharkhand CM, asking him to report back to the company on September 23.

In his letter to the company, Mr Soren stated he had supplied all needed paperwork and knowledge to the ED. He wrote that if the ED wanted any data, it might discuss with the paperwork that he had already shared with the company.

(with PTI inputs)