The Enforcement Directorate summoned Jharkhand Chief minister Hemant Soren for questioning on Thursday at its Ranchi office in the illegal mining case.

A team of ED officials reached Ranchi on Wednesday to question Soren under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) even as the sleuths stated they have been able to trace proceeds of crime committed by way of illegal mining in the state which is said to be to the tune of more than ₹1,000 crore.

Seek more time

Though the CM has been asked to appear before the ED by 11 am at ED’s Ranchi office, it is unlikely that Soren will turn up before the sleuths, and rather may seek more time, said sources. It is learnt Soren is also exploring other legal options against probe of the ED which had earlier arrested his political aide Pankaj Mishra and others—Bachhu Yadav and Prem Prakash.

Soren, meanwhile, said that he was not scared of the ED probe against him. “I’ve been summoned too. But I’m not scared. They’ve tried to show how powerful ED is. If Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi can be summoned, so can a CM. We’ll give a reply to that... It’s a conspiracy,” the Jharkhand CM said on Tuesday.

ED sources charged that Mishra, the MLA representative of CM from Barhait in Sahibganj, Jharkhand was key to illegal mining racket and inland ferry services in that region. Mishra is said to be enjoying considerable control over mining of stone chips and boulders as well as operation of crushers in Sahibganj area.

47 searches

Since July 8, the ED had conducted 47 searches and seized cash worth ₹5.34 crore and attached bank balance equivalent to ₹13.32 crore, a vessel worth ₹30 crore and five stone crushers, two trucks and same number of AK 47 assault rifles, which later Jharkhand police claimed to be theirs.

Soren is facing multiple cases. Besides this, the Election Commission has recommended to disqualify him as an MLA owing to charges that as the CM he had awarded a contract to himself. But, Jharkhand Governor, after getting the report, has sought clarification from the EC, including on whether he would be barred from contesting polls. Soren, however, has challenged the EC’s move in Ranchi High Court which is expected to come up for hearing next week.

He is also facing allegations of rape by a Mumbai model since 2020, who had later wanted to withdraw but a Maharashtra court stopped it.

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