Ranchi (Jharkhand): Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths are conducting searches at over 10 locations in Jharkhand and Rajasthan in connection with an illegal mining and money laundering case, sources said on Wednesday.
The sleuths raided the premises of the media advisor to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi in connection with the ongoing alleged money laundering case, agency sources said."
Official sources said that about a dozen locations in the state, including in state capital Ranchi and a premise in Rajasthan, are being raided by the central agency under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The premises of press advisor Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu, collector and SP of Sahibganj district, ex-MLA Pappu Yadav, some jail department officials and a police constable are being searched by the agency officials.
Chief Minister Soren was issued a "last opportunity" by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on December 30 last year, to record his statement in an alleged land scam. Soren said the summons was 'illegal'. It was the 7th summons issued to Soren by the ED under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 asking him to record his statement. He has so far skipped six summons, sources said.
Soren was first summoned by the ED earlier in mid-August in connection with a land 'scam' case. However, the CM ignored the summons, claiming that he was busy with the state's Independence Day celebrations. According to sources, the Jharkhand Chief Minister, in his letter to ED, added that he has already given the details of his properties.
He also accused the probe agency of making the media trial of the whole matter. In his reply, he also said that he had already given the details of the properties. He has also accused ED of trying to destabilise the government, sources said.
The money laundering probe began after the ED raided Soren's political aide Pankaj Mishra and his alleged associates in July, 2022 and covered 19 locations in Sahibganj, Barhet, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki and Barharwa in Jharkhand to investigate alleged irregularities in the operation of toll plaza tenders and instances of illegal mining in the state. (with agency inputs)
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