In a recent development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated searches at 10 locations in Ranchi and Rajasthan as part of a money laundering investigation related to illegal mining activities in Jharkhand. Among those searched is Abhishek Prasad, the press adviser of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
The ED’s actions also target other individuals, including Hazaribag deputy superintendent of police Rajendra Dubey and Sahib Ganj district collector Ram Nivas, whose residence is in Rajasthan. The searches are linked to alleged financial irregularities associated with illegal mining in Jharkhand.
Additionally, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been issued summons for the seventh time in connection with an alleged land scam. The ED has warned that this is his last opportunity to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, within seven days.
In response to the summons, Chief Minister Soren has deemed them “illegal” and accused the ED of conducting a media trial. He asserts that he has already provided details of his properties and accuses the ED of attempting to destabilize his government.
The Chief Minister is also under investigation for alleged money laundering related to the illegal mining case in Sahebganj district. He is accused of violating election rules by granting himself a mining lease in 2021. Despite the allegations, Mr. Soren maintains his innocence, attributing the situation to a larger conspiracy aimed at harassing a tribal leader.
These developments come at a critical time, just months ahead of the national elections. Amidst speculation about Chief Minister Soren’s wife, Kalpana Soren, potentially contesting from the Gandey assembly constituency, he dismisses the rumors as a “complete imagination” by the BJP. The BJP alleges that the recent resignation of ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad is part of a strategy to pave the way for Kalpana Soren to contest in case of any repercussions from the ED investigation.
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