According to official sources on Saturday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a fresh round of communication directed towards Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, urging his participation once more in the ongoing investigation related to a money laundering case scheduled for next week.
As per the communication, Soren has been requested to confirm his availability for interrogation on either January 29 or January 31, providing him with options for his convenience.
Initially, the central agency had extended an invitation to the Jharkhand chief minister to engage in the probe within the timeframe of January 27 to January 31. However, given the absence of an official response, a renewed summons has been dispatched to the 48-year-old political figure, who also holds the position of executive president within the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
The ED had previously recorded Soren's statement on January 20 at his official residence in Ranchi, under the purview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The interrogation lasted for nearly seven hours, yet remained incomplete, prompting the issuance of the latest summons.
The investigation revolves around an extensive network involved in the unlawful alteration of land ownership orchestrated by criminal elements in Jharkhand, as revealed by the agency.
In connection with this case, the ED has apprehended a total of 14 individuals, including Chhavi Ranjan, a 2011-batch IAS officer who formerly held positions within the state's Social Welfare Department and served as the deputy commissioner of Ranchi.
