Jharkhand Mining Case: CM Hemant Soren writes to ED questioning agency's claim

Enforcement Directorate has summoned Jharkhand’s chief minister, Hemant Soren in connection with its investigation into alleged money laundering and illegal mining in the state, as well as alleged violations of the Representation of the People Act, 1951

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Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote to the assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Deovrat Jha, questioning the agency's claim on Thursday. The CM stated that it was impossible to avoid paying Rs 1,000 crore in royalties in Sahibganj in two years. CM Soren issued the letter just hours before appearing before the ED's Ranchi zonal office for questioning in the illegal stone mining case. Soren had left the ED office earlier that night after nine hours of questioning in the illegal mining case. After being summoned by the central investigation agency, Soren arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office earlier in the day.

He had previously ignored an ED summons in the case. In an interview with reporters, he stated, "The allegations don`t seem plausible. I feel the agencies should come to a definite conclusion after conducting a detailed investigation. I am a chief minister but feel like someone who fled the country from the manner in which I have been summoned. Such actions create uncertainty in the state. It could be a conspiracy to destabilise the government. Our rivals have been conspiring to topple the government ever since we came to power," Soren had said.

The ED summoned the Jharkhand chief minister, Hemant Soren in connection with its investigation into alleged money laundering and illegal mining in the state, as well as alleged violations of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The ED began its investigation in the case on the basis of an FIR filed against Pankaj Mishra, a political representative of CM Soren. It later took over the investigation into other cases related to illegal mining in Jharkhand. However, the CM denied the allegations.

#WATCH | Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren leaves from ED office in Ranchi after nine hours of questioning in illegal mining case pic.twitter.com/X404IzXXzj

— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2022

(With ANI inputs)