The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to take steps to issue a non-bailable warrant against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren if he fails to appear before the agency on September 23. This summons is in connection with a land mining case and alleged illegal possession of land parcels in Ranchi.
Soren, a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), has previously skipped three summons issued the ED. According to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) rules, the ED has the authority to issue a non-bailable warrant if an accused or someone under investigation misses three consecutive summonses.
Last month, Soren approached the Supreme Court seeking relief, but the court rejected his plea and instructed him to appeal before the High Court. As per the direction of the Supreme Court, Soren is expected to file a petition in the High Court.
Over the past six months, Soren has been summoned the ED four times regarding alleged land and stone mining scams. He complied with one of the summonses but ignored the others and filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court to halt the investigation. In his petition, Soren claimed that he was being targeted for his opposition alliance and for not aligning with the NDA. He requested the quashing of the ED summons.
A senior ED officer explained the delay in initiating the process for a non-bailable warrant, stating that they were waiting for the Supreme Court’s direction. However, as the division bench refused to grant a stay, Soren was directed to approach the High Court. If Soren chooses not to appear before the ED on September 23, the agency may proceed with issuing a non-bailable warrant.
Hemant Soren is currently facing money laundering charges in connection with two cases, which are under investigation the ED. The Jharkhand government’s advocate general, Rajiv Ranjan, has dismissed the charges as baseless and without merit, stating that Soren has submitted all relevant documents to the agency. He also emphasized that the repeated summonses go against the federal structure.
One of the cases against Soren involves stone mining, which the ED has allegedly linked to Soren and his connections. Another case involves an alleged land deed fraud with political associations. These details were first reported News18 last month.
After the Supreme Court’s decision, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stated that Soren cannot evade the ED and other central agencies indefinitely. The BJP spokesperson, Syed Zafar Islam, highlighted the serious corruption charges against Soren and emphasized that he must face the probe.