Ranchi, Feb 2: JMM leader and former Chief Minister of Jharkhand , Hemant Soren, has been sent to five-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate by the High Court in connection with an alleged land scam case. Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED after several summons in the alleged land scam case and several hours of questioning on Wednesday night.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Earlier, Soren was sent to one-day judicial custody by a special PMLA court in Ranchi. Earlier, the ED said it had recovered cash worth in excess of Rs 36 lakh from the possession of the JMM chief along with documents linked to the ongoing investigation into the alleged acquisition of land by 'fraudulent means'. The agency added that land parcels spanning 8.5 acres were part of the criminal proceeds that the former CM allegedly acquired. ED stated that in a raid conducted on April 13, 2023, they unearthed several property-related records and registers that were in the possession of Revenue Sub-Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad.

 

It informed further that the probe further revealed that Bhanu Pratap Prasad and others are part of a "very large syndicate involved in corrupt practices of acquiring properties forcefully as well as on the basis of false deeds. "Considering the facts and circumstances and taking into consideration the activities and processes of money laundering in which Soren is directly involved and is also a party with the said Bhanu Pratap and others, there are sufficient reasons to believe that Soren is guilty of the offence of money laundering as per section 3 of PMLA 2002," the agency stated.

 

 

 

 

Amidst the political unrest in Jharkhand, Champai Soren, a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party, took oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Friday (Feb 2) at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. Alongside Soren, Congress' Alamgir Alam and RJD's Satyanand Bhokta also took the oath as a ministers in the Jharkhand cabinet.

 

On Thursday, Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan invited Champai Soren to Raj Bhavan to form the government in the state. Champai Soren, a loyalist of JMM leader Hemant Soren, has been mandated to demonstrate his majority in a floor test, which will be held within the next 10 days. Champai Soren, along with 43 legislators had met Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan, staking a claim to form the government in the state.

 

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