The Enforcement Directorate has been tightening its noose in the Jharkhand land scam case involving JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) leaders. In the last week, the ED has not only seized more assets but also made new arrests in the case. Former Jharkhand CM Heman Soren is already behind bars in the case. The probe agency has arrested 22 people in the case including Soren, IAS Chhavi Ranjan and businessman Amit Agarwal.


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The probe agency conducted a total of 51 raids and nine surveys in which it recovered Rs 1.25 crore in cash, Rs 3.56 crore in bank accounts and immovable assets worth Rs 266 crore.


On Wednesday, the ED arrested four people including JMM leader Antu Tirkey and real estate businessman Vipin Singh. The ED has filed a chargesheet against Hemant Soren and others on March 30 in the land scam case seeking to confiscate the 8.86-acre land in question which, ED claims, was acquired by forgery.


The probe agency had initiated a money laundering investigation in the land scam case based on multiple FIRs registered by Jharkhand Police against several persons, including government officials. The ED investigation in the case has revealed the involvement of an active land mafia racket in Jharkhand which used to forge land records in Ranchi. It is also revealed that ownership records of lands have also been forged to extend favours to the said land mafia.