The ED has issued a fresh summon to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to appear in Ranchi on November 17 for questioning in a money laundering case related to alleged illegal mining. Earlier, the investigating agency had asked him to appear on November 3.
Ranchi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summon to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to appear in Ranchi on November 17 for questioning in a money laundering case related to alleged illegal mining in the state. Official sources gave this information on Wednesday.
Soren, 47, was initially summoned by the federal probe agency to appear on November 3, but he did not appear citing official engagements. After this, he requested to postpone the summons for three weeks.
Official sources said the agency has now asked Chief Minister Soren to appear next week on November 17 at its regional office in state capital Ranchi for questioning and recording of statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED has arrested Soren’s political aide Pankaj Mishra and two others – local bahubali Bachchu Yadav and Prem Prakash – in this case. The agency said it has “identified” the proceeds of crime so far of over Rs 1,000 crore related to illegal mining in the state.
The ED had raided the premises of Mishra and his alleged associates on July 8 in connection with alleged incidents of illegal mining and extortion, following which the probe began.
The ED has started its investigation on the basis of the FIR lodged by Shambhu Nandan Kumar at Barharwa police station in the illegal mining case of Sahibganj district. Shambhu Nandan alleged that he was threatened by Mishra on June 22, 2020, for participating in a tender process for Barharwa toll.
Kumar alleged that Mishra had asked him “not to participate” in the tender process over phone and when he refused, he was attacked by the mob at Mishra’s behest.
In September, the agency informed a special court in Ranchi that it had detected illegal mining of stones worth over Rs 1,000 crore in Sahibganj district and adjoining areas of Jharkhand, all controlled by Mishra.
According to the Indian Express, last week, Soren was supposed to appear before the agency, but he left for Chhattisgarh to attend a pre-scheduled event. The Chief Minister attacked the BJP without naming any party or leader and challenged them to be arrested. Responding to the summons, Soren had told the ED, ‘I am not afraid.’
Soren had said, ‘If I have done something wrong and I am guilty, then why inquire? Just come and arrest me if you can.
He alleged that the summons was a ploy to harass a tribal chief minister and destabilize a democratically elected government.
On November 7, the Supreme Court had dismissed two PILs of the Jharkhand High Court, seeking a probe against Soren for alleged money laundering through shell companies and obtaining mining leases while in power.
A bench of CJI Justices UU Lalit, Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia observed that the petitioner Shiv Shankar Sharma had not approached the High Court with the right intention, as he had failed to disclose that a similar issue before the High Court in 2013. The petition was filed, which was dismissed by both the High Court and the Supreme Court.
(with input from news agency language)
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Categories: India, Politics