The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Ranchi): Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has lodged a formal complaint against officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), accusing them of attempting to harass and defame him and his community. This action comes amidst the ED’s interrogation of Soren in a money laundering case tied to an alleged land scam.
In his complaint, CM Soren named several ED officers, including Kapil Raj, Deovrat Jha, Anupam Kumar, Aman Patel, and others, alleging that their search operations in Jharkhand Bhawan and Shanti Niketan in New Delhi were conducted to malign him. He expressed his grievances about the lack of prior notice for the search at Shanti Niketan on January 29 and denied any ownership of a blue BMW car and illicit cash reportedly found at the premises.
Soren’s complaint was filed at the SC ST police station in Ranchi, and further investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, ED officials visited his residence in Ranchi on January 31 for questioning related to the alleged land scam. This visit followed an incident where ED officials were unable to locate the Chief Minister at his residence in the national capital.
JMM MP Mahua Maji reported that Soren expressed readiness to face the ED and asserted he had no fear. This response came after a meeting at his Ranchi residence. The ED had previously issued a fresh summons to Soren, marking it the tenth such summons for the Jharkhand Chief Minister.
The situation around the Chief Minister’s residence in Ranchi saw a significant police presence. This development indicates escalating tensions between the Jharkhand Chief Minister and the central agency, underlining the complexity of the ongoing legal and political scenario.
