AMN / RANCHI
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren today skipped the second Enforcement Directorate (ED) summon for questioning in connection with an ongoing money laundering case related to fraudulent sale of land parcels in the state capital and has moved Supreme Court against it, people aware of the development said.
While Soren attended office of the state secretariat, a staff member from the chief minister’s office arrived at the zonal office of the federal agency with a sealed envelope.
“The CM has informed that he won’t turn up as he has filed a writ petition over the issue,” a senior official said, reports HT.
On August 8, the ED had summoned Soren for questioning on August 14 at its zonal office in Ranchi and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Describing it as “politically motivated”, Soren had questioned the summons, and asked the agency to withdraw or he will be forced to take legal recourse.
The agency, however, had rejected the allegation and sent a second summon to Soren asking him to depose before it on August 24.
The federal agency has been probing two major cases of money laundering in the state.
The first case is related to illegal mining in the state and the CM was questioned in connection with the mining case on November 17 last year.
The second case is related to an alleged land scam case in the state capital.
Thirteen persons, including IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan and two businessmen, Amit Agrawal of Kolkata and Bishnu Agrawal, who own shopping malls in Ranchi, have already been arrested in connection with the alleged land scam case.
The agency had questioned CM Soren for more than 10-long hours in connection with the illegal mining case on November 18, 2022.
The agency has requested the central security forces and State police to provide additional forces during the questioning session of CM Soren. At present, suspended IAS officer and former Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi Chhavi Ranjan including many businessmen and CM’s close aide have been arrested and sent to jail by ED in this case.
ED has made these arrests on allegations of fraudulent sale-purchase of land parcels at prime locations in the state capital, including two in possession of Indian defence establishment.