The Enforcement Directorate has issued a summons to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for interrogation related to an alleged land scam, according to sources on Saturday. CM Soren is required to appear at the ED’s Delhi office to have his statement recorded on a mutually agreed date under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. This marks the seventh time the Chief Minister has been summoned by the agency.
As per the sources, “ED issued a seventh summons to CM Hemant Soren under section 50 of the PMLA asking him to record his statement at the place, date, and time mutually convenient to him as well as the agency in the ongoing land scam.” CM Soren was previously summoned on December 12, but he did not attend the proceedings, drawing criticism from the BJP.
This ongoing saga began in mid-August when Soren was first summoned by the ED in connection with a land ‘scam’ case. Despite subsequent summonses on August 24, September 9, and September 23, the Chief Minister declined to appear, citing prior commitments. In a letter to the agency, Soren asserted that he had provided all necessary documents and information and suggested referring to the shared documents for any required information. He accused the ED of summoning him at the behest of its “political masters.”