The Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren resigned amid reports of his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. As per reports, the central agency was unsatisfied with the responses provided by the chief minister during questioning, following which it arrested Soren. The JMM elected Champai Soren as the new chief minister of the state.
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— News18 India (@News18India) January 31, 2024
झारखंड के CM हेमंत सोरेन गिरफ़्तार, ज़मीन घोटाला मामले में ED ने किया गिरफ़्तार.#JharkhandNews #HemantSoren #JMM #LandScam @AmanChopra_ @cmohan_pat pic.twitter.com/ksZ7EyszMh
The ED is currently investigating at least three cases related to benami properties and illegal mining involving Soren.
For more than six hours, a group of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials interrogated Chief Minister Hemant Soren at his official residence, which eventually culminated in his arrest.
Soren is likely to resign before his arrest, reports said. According to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, Champai Soren was proposed by the legislature party for the post of Chief Minister. “Hemant Soren ji could not make Kalpana Soren ji the Chief Minister due to opposition from the family,” Dubey tweeted.
चमपई सोरेन जी को विधायक दल ने अगले मुख्यमंत्री के लिए प्रस्तावित किया । हेमंत सोरेन जी कल्पना सोरेन जी को मुख्यमंत्री परिवार के विरोध के कारण नहीं बना पाए
— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) January 31, 2024
The Jharkhand CM had allegedly tried dodging interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a major land scam case. Soren had already skipped 9 ED summons before the central agency finally questioned him on Wednesday.
The ED had written to Jharkhand CM asking him to provide a date for questioning on January 29 or 31, or else the agency itself would go to him for questioning, in connection with a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
Earlier on January 22, ED issued a summons to Soren for the ninth time, asking him to be available for questioning between January 27 and 31 in the case.
Meanwhile, on January 20, the Enforcement Directorate arrived in Ranchi to question the Jharkhand Chief Minister in the land scam case. The eighth summons was issued to Soren on January 13, asking him to be available for questioning between January 16 to 20, in the case.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, the investigation pertains to a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand. The ED officials are investigating the illegal purchase and sale of 4.55 acres of land under military control in Ranchi.
