ED summons Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren for questioning in money laundering case on December 12

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday issued a fresh notice to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning in a money laundering case related to alleged land embezzlement, official sources said.

It has asked Soren to make the declaration at the federal agency’s office here and file his declaration under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), sources said on Monday.

The quote for the Prime Minister is for December 12, added.

This is the sixth notification sent to Soren, but he never testified as he had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking protection against ED action.

The investigation has cited the Education Department as saying that “a big scam of illegal land property exchange is going on by mafias” in Jharkhand.

The agency arrested 14 people in the case, including Chhavi Ranjan, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer since 2011, who previously served as director of the state social welfare department and assistant commissioner of Ranchi.

The 48-year-old Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader was questioned by the ED in November last year in another money laundering case related to alleged illegal mining in the state.