ED team at Hemant Soren's Delhi residence amidst 9 summons evasions

PTC News Desk: An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team reached the official residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Delhi as part of an ongoing investigation into a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Soren, who has evaded ED summons on nine occasions, has been urged to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or 31.

The ED had previously instructed Soren to participate in the investigation between January 27 and 31. However, with no official response, a fresh communication was issued, indicating the urgency of the inquiry into the 48-year-old politician.

Notably, Soren's initial statement was recorded on January 20 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during a nearly seven-hour visit by ED investigators to his official residence in Ranchi. However, as the questioning was not completed that day, a new summons was issued.

Soren, also the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), has attributed his non-compliance to political motives, accusing the BJP-led central government of attempting to destabilize his administration in Jharkhand through probe agencies.

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Earlier this month, the ED conducted raids on the premises of Soren's press advisor, officials from Sahibganj district, and a former MLA as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged illegal mining activities in the state.

Since 2022, the ED has been investigating the flow of Rs 100 crore in "proceeds of crime" generated from illegal mining operations in Jharkhand. The probe has led to the arrest of 14 individuals, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, who served as the director of the state's Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

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(Inputs from agencies)

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