Ranchi/New Delhi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has agreed to record his statement before Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at his residence on Wednesday at 1 pm, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday.
“You are well aware that the Budget Session of the Legislative Assembly will be held between 2nd and 29th February 2024 and the undersigned will be pre-occupied with preparations for the same apart from other prior scheduled official engagements,” letter by Soren to ED’s Ranchi office stated.
The ED officials had issued 10 summons to the Jharkhand Chief Minister in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam and visited his Delhi residence on Monday night but were unable to locate him. The investigation team recovered Rs 36 lakh in cash and seized two cars, including a BMW, belonging to CM Soren as part of the ongoing investigation.
Additionally, Section 144 CrPc has been imposed within a 100-metre radius of Soren’s residence, Raj Bhavan, and the ED office in Ranchi.
Meanwhile, all legislators of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led (JMM) ruling alliance in Jharkhand have been asked not to leave the Ranchi and attend a meeting proposed at the CM House on January 30 to discuss strategy over the current political situation and questioning of Soren the following day, The Hindu reported.
“To fight against dictatorship, we are moving forward with a solid strategy. Please wait…did they (BJP) ever register a complaint when Brij Bhushan Singh was missing?…,” JMM leader Manoj Pandey asked.
Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi, on the other hand, said: “…We will give a reward of Rs 11,000 to the person who can find and bring the CM.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that 82 properties, belonging to Shibu Soren, his wife, Hemant Soren, his wife and their family, have neither been declared before the Income Tax nor in their election affidavit. “He (CM) had stalled the Lokpal investigation for two years now…Lokpal has given him the last chance on 15th February. If this case opens in 2024, nobody in Soren will be eligible to contest election,” he told ANI.
The BJP MP had earlier claimed that Hemant Soren’s wife Kaplana may replace him as the CM of Jharkhand as the former has called all allied MLAs to Ranchi “with their luggage”. “Hemant Soren ji has called his own, JMM, Congress and allied MLAs to reach Ranchi with their luggage and bags. According to the information, there is a proposal to make Kalpana Soren ji (Hemant Soren’s wife) the Chief Minister. The CM has said that fearing an ED interrogation, they will reach Ranchi by road and announce their arrival,” he posted on X.
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