Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is
set to undergo a second round of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate or ED
in connection with an alleged money laundering case. Sources reveal after being
questioned at his residence in Ranchi during the first round on Saturday, the
ED has summoned him again to complete the recording of his statement under the
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Soren, who had previously skipped seven
summons, is now scheduled to appear at the ED’s zonal office between January 27
and 31.
The CM contends that he is a victim of a
massive conspiracy and assured his supporters, stating, “A conspiracy was
hatched against me, but the final nail in the coffin of the conspirators will
be put by us… We will not be scared, your leader will face the bullets first
and keep your morale high.”
The case revolves around an alleged “huge
racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand, as
per the Central agency. In connection with this case, 14 individuals, including
2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, have been arrested. Ranjan served as the
director of the state Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of
Ranchi.
This is not the first time Soren has
faced ED questioning; in November 2022, he was interrogated in another
money-laundering case related to alleged illegal mining in the State.
