Hemant Soren, leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, has been granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court. This decision comes from a money laundering case linked to a land scam.
Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31 from the Ranchi Raj Bhavan, just minutes after he resigned from his position as Chief Minister. The arrest was part of a broader investigation into alleged illegal land acquisitions.
The case centers around an 8.86-acre plot of land in Ranchi. The ED alleges that Soren illegally acquired this land. The money laundering probe follows multiple FIRs filed by the Jharkhand Police regarding land scams involving several individuals, including state government officials.
Jharkhand High Court grants bail to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, in the land scam case. pic.twitter.com/xA1b2mfXvn
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024
According to the ED, the investigation revealed a scheme of manipulating official records. It is alleged that dummy sellers and purchasers, along with forged or bogus documents, were used to acquire large parcels of land worth crores of rupees. This generated substantial proceeds of crime.
The ED had alleged that witnesses confirmed Soren’s involvement in an illegal land deal, claiming he instructed his media consultant, Abhishek Prasad, to manipulate official records to change land ownership details.
The bail granted to Soren provides temporary relief, but the investigation into the alleged land scam and money laundering activities continues. The case highlights significant concerns about corruption and the misuse of power within the state’s land acquisition processes.
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