ED officials reach Jharkhand CM residence for questioning in alleged Land Scam case

A team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials visited the residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Following a late-night meeting at Soren’s residence in Ranchi on Tuesday, JMM MP Mahua Maji revealed that Hemant Soren expressed his readiness to face the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 without any fear.

Earlier, ED officials had visited Soren’s residence in the national capital on Monday night, but the Chief Minister could not be located. Subsequently, the ED issued a fresh summons, the tenth in total, asking Soren to be available for questioning on January 29 or 31. Heavy police deployment was observed around the Chief Minister’s residence in Ranchi.

In the course of their investigation, the Enforcement Directorate had seized Rs 36 lakh in cash and two cars from Hemant Soren’s residence. In response to the ED’s actions, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) workers gathered at Morabadi ground, chanting slogans in support of Hemant Soren. The workers planned to march to Raj Bhavan as a protest against the ED’s actions.

Mustaque Alam, Ranchi District President of JMM, expressed concerns about BJP’s alleged conspiracies and stated, “Today Hemant Soren will definitely answer their questions but we workers remain apprehensive that BJP keeps conspiring and under its influence these people will try to create some trouble.”

JMM MP Mahua Maji accused the central government of using the ED and the CBI to destabilize non-BJP ruled states, stating, “You can see how the Central Government and BJP are hatching a conspiracy to destabilize & topple governments and form their own government in non-BJP ruled states.” She emphasized the party’s readiness to face and tackle such conspiracies, expressing confidence in the unity of the alliance’s MLAs.