Law Kumar Mishra
Ranchi, January 31
After six hours of questioning in Ranchi land scam, Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday evening arrested Chief Minister Hemant Soren from his official bungalow.
Soren will be the first sitting Chief Minister arrested in a money laundering case. Earlier, he went to Raj Bhawan and submitted his papers.
Transport Minister Champai Soren, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator from Saraikela, will succeed him.
The action came after Soren did not answer the agency’s queries satisfactorily. The ED wanted to record the CM’s response to the documents seized from Ranchi district Revenue Sub-Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad and his properties. The agency has lodged a case in this regard for tampering and falsification of government records.
Notably, the ED had questioned him for around seven hours on January 20 in the land scam case bearing ECIR no. RNZO/25/2023.
Soren clarified that he had not grabbed any land or that the 8.46 acres of land located at Bariatu in Ranchi were under his possession. However, ED sources said the agency had concrete proof against him and would take the investigation to its logical conclusion.
The ED had served him the first summons on August 14 last year. Soren was persuaded to be questioned on January 20 after ignoring seven summon. However, in its eight summon, the ED warned him of severe consequences if he continued to ignore the call.
Security across the state capital has been beefed up following the development.
