Money laundering case: A team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today arrived at the official residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the national capital in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
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.
Fresh summons to Soren
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 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.
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 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.