Jharkhand CM Soren Gets ED Summons
Soren was summoned by the ED earlier in mid-August in connection with a land 'scam' case
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a letter-cum-summons to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, seeking his availability for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. The Central agency has sought a response from the chief minister by December 31, failing which it will initiate further legal action under the provisions of the anti-money laundering law.
This is the seventh summons that has been served to Mr Soren for his appearance before the agency, the sources said here on Saturday.
In the latest summons, he has been asked by the Central agency to inform the investigating officer of the case about the date, venue and time of his choice so that his statement can be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
So far, Mr Soren has never deposed before the ED. The first summon was issued on August 14 after that he filed a petition before the Supreme Court and the Jharkhand high court seeking protection from the ED action and terming the summons "unwarranted." Both courts had dismissed his petition.
The Jharkhand chief minister had claimed in the high court that the summons was issued out of malice and that false allegations had been levelled against him with the sole motive of creating political uncertainty and unrest in the state.
The probe pertains to a “huge racket of illegal changes of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand, according to the ED.
The agency has arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, who had earlier served as the director of the state social welfare department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader was questioned by the ED in November last year in another money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state.
On December 12, he was asked to appear before the agency office in Ranchi for the sixth time, but instead of coming to the ED office, he attended the government programme Aapki Yojna, Aapki Sarkar, Aapke Dwar in Dumka.