The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent a renewed communication to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, urging his participation in an upcoming money laundering case investigation. Officials mentioned on Saturday that Soren has been asked to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31.
Earlier, the central agency had invited the Jharkhand chief minister to participate in the probe anytime between January 27 and 31. However, with no official response received, a fresh letter-cum-summons has been issued to the 48-year-old politician, who also serves as the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
On January 20, the ED recorded Soren's statement for the first time in the case during their visit to his official residence in Ranchi. The statement, recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), took nearly seven hours to complete. The need for a fresh summons arose as the questioning was not concluded on that day.
The investigation revolves around an alleged "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand, as per the agency's statement. So far, the ED has apprehended 14 individuals in connection with the case, including Chhavi Ranjan, a 2011-batch IAS officer who served as the director of the state's Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.
