Edited by Deepali Verma
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, under questioning by the Enforcement Directorate officials at his residence in Ranchi regarding a money laundering case related to a land deal, resigned from his post on January 31. Following the questioning, Soren was arrested by the Central agency from his residence. He went to the Governor House with the ED officials to hand over the resignation.
Jharkhand Minister and JMM leader Mithilesh Thakur said the alliance picked JMM leader Champai Soren for the post of chief minister.
Who is the next Jharkhand CM?
Champai Soren, a seven-time MLA, represents the Seraikella constituency in Jharkhand where he served as an Independent MLA before joining the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Presently, Champai Soren serves as the minister of transport in the Jharkhand government. He had an active participation in the movement for separate statehood of Jharkhand. He rose to prominence during the state movement and is fondly referred to as the ‘Jharkhand Tiger’.
ED questions Soren in money laundering case
Soren underwent due questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case on January 31 in his official residence for nearly seven hours amid heavy security cover and high political drama.
Previously, Soren lodged an FIR against ED personnel over searches conducted by the agency at his Delhi residence, officials said.
Soren has cited that the ED conducted the search to “harass and malign him and his entire community”, remarked the officials, quoting the FIR.
Soren, 48, who is also the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had been questioned on January 20 in relation to the case.
However, the interrogation was not complete on that day when he was grilled for more than seven hours, an official said.
The questioning of Soren is taking place as a part of an investigation into a “huge racket of illegal change of land ownership by the mafia” in Jharkhand, as per the officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
What is the case?
The ED has made an arrest of 14 people in the case, that covers 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state’s Social Welfare Department as well as deputy commissioner of Ranchi. An employee of the Jharkhand land revenue department, Bhanu Prasad Prasad, was also arrested by the agency in the case. The ED investigation pertains to “large amounts of proceeds of crime generated by the manipulation of official records by showing dummy sellers and purchasers in the guise of forged/ bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores”.
