Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday skipped the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summon for questioning in connection with an ongoing money laundering case related to fraudulent sale of land parcels in the state Capital, Ranchi, and has sought more time citing his preoccupied schedule, people aware of the development said.
A staff member of the chief minister’s office turned up at the zonal office of ED in the second half and submitted a sealed envelope with the officials concerned of the federal agency. “I have no idea about what was in the envelope. I was just told to deliver it,” he told reporters outside the ED office.
Soren, meanwhile, visited the Doordarshan office to record the CM’s customary Independence Day message.
While both ruling dispensation and the federal agency remained tight lipped over the content of the communication from the chief minister, people familiar with the matter said Soren informed the agency that he was unable to visit their office owing to his ‘busy schedule’.
“The chief minister has not sought any specific time period in response to the summon. In general, he has informed the agency that he can’t visit their office on August 14 due to his busy schedule in next few weeks, including Independence Day celebrations, nomination and campaigning for Dumri assembly by-elections. He is ready to otherwise cooperate in whatever other means they want to. If they send another summon, he would take decision as per legal advice,” a leader in the ruling party said.
The people said Soren is also scheduled to attend the next meeting of INDIA parties in Mumbai later this month.
On August 8, ED summoned Soren for questioning on August 14 in connection with a money laundering case and asked to depose at its zonal office in Ranchi and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The federal agency has been probing two major cases of money laundering in the state. The first case is related to illegal mining in the state. CM was questioned in connection with mining case on November 17 last year.
The second case is related to alleged land scam in the state Capital. Thirteen persons including IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan and two businessmen, Amit Agrawal of Kolkata and Bishnu Agrawal, who owns shopping malls in Ranchi, have already been arrested in connection with the land scam.
The federal agency has made these arrests on allegations of fraudulent sale-purchase of land parcels at prime locations in the state Capital, including two in possession of Indian defence establishment.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya refused to comment over reasons behind the CM skipping the summon and described it as politically motivated.
“He was summoned on the day the Dumri assembly election was announced and a day before the World Indigenous Day when the state government was to organise the Adivasi Festival. He was summoned for August 14, a day before Independence Day. The entire world knows that CMs have several administrative obligations like recording of message with Doordarshan and review meetings for Independence Day. Are these not enough proof to show all this is being done to harass our leader?” he said.
The JMM leader said the party was solidly behind its leader and they are least bothered about what the agency wants to do.
