Arrested by ED Former CM Hemant Soren He was brought to Birsa Munda Central Jail located at Hotwar at 4:55 pm on Thursday. He has been kept in cell number one of B block of Upper Division Cell. He expressed his desire to the jail administration to eat milk, bread and cauliflower vegetable at night. Former MLA Raja Peter has also lived next to that cell. Earlier he was to be kept in Raja Peter’s cell, but due to seepage in it, Hemant Soren was kept in Upper Division cell number one. Before this, amidst heavy security, the traffic police reached the jail with Hemant Soren, blowing the hooter. Police were also escorting four vehicles of ED officials. After this, the ED team car (JH 01 DG-0835), in which Hemant Soren was sitting, was taken to the Central Jail complex.
ED asked for 10 days remand, decision on this on February 2
It is known that Hemant Soren was arrested on the night of 31 January 2024 in a money laundering case related to 8.46 acres of land located in Badgai area of Ranchi. The ED produced the accused arrested in the case, outgoing Chief Minister Hemant Soren, in the court of PMLA Special Judge Dinesh Rai on Thursday at 2.32 pm. The hearing continued till 4.26 pm. During this, ED sought 10 days’ remand from the court to interrogate Hemant. The date for decision on remand has been fixed for February 2.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Kumar argued on behalf of ED and Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan argued on behalf of Hemant Soren. After completion of the arguments, the court sent Hemant Soren to Birsa Munda Central Jail, Hotwar (Ranchi) in judicial custody. Let us tell you that Hemant Soren has been arrested in ED’s ECIR number RNZO/25/23. ED had done this on the basis of FIR registered against revenue employee Bhanu Pratap Prasad in ECIR Sadar police station. ED had found in the preliminary investigation of the case that 8.45 acres of land behind DAV Bariatu in Badagain area was in the possession of the then Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Hemant’s advocate General Advocate Rajeev Ranjan said in the court –
This case is completely fabricated. This is a conspiracy to topple the democratically elected Chief Minister and topple his government. Someone said that I have eight acres of land in my name, will that land become mine? That is dry land. This land cannot be transferred. We don’t even have possession of that land. That land is not even in our name. There is no mutation record in our name. In the case of revenue employee Bhanu Pratap Prasad, which ED has shared with the state government, it has been said that records of tampering have been found from here. Our name is not there in it, whereas FIR has been registered on its basis.
On behalf of ED, Additional Solicitor General Anil Kumar said-
Chief Minister remains Hemant Soren Has misused his position. He did not come even after being summoned by ED. They would make some excuse or the other. Finally, when he was asked for time between 27th and 31st January, he went to Delhi without giving any information till the evening of 28th January. Rs 36 lakh have been recovered from his house in Delhi. Many documents have also been recovered. The Chief Minister was given several opportunities to express his views, but he kept ignoring the summons. Ranchi Police had removed Section 120B from the FIR. The Chief Secretary was informed several times in this regard, but he did not lodge any FIR. When Hemant Soren was no longer the Chief Minister, he objected to the Advocate General standing in the court on his behalf.