The Jharkhand Police has summoned four reporters of three news channels for airing news that claimed ₹36 lakh was recovered from the Delhi residence of former chief minister Hemant Soren, who is in jail now in a land scam case.
A police officer aware of the development said that the journalists will be questioned regarding the source of their information on the basis of which the story alleging that ₹36 lakh cash besides a BMW car was seized from Soren’s Delhi residence on January 29 was aired.
The investigation is related to the case filed by Soren with the ST/SC police station on January 31, accusing Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials of insulting him for being a member of the ST community.
A police official familiar with the development said reporters of the electronic media channels were summoned 10 days ago but as they have refused to turn up to Ranchi, the investigating officer (IO) is now planning to go to Delhi to question them.
The matter has come to fore after the Jharkhand high court on March 4 directed ‘no coercive’ action in the ED’s petition challenging an FIR against its official at ST SC Police station.
“The order came from the court of justice Anil Kumar Choudhary after Amit Kumar Das argued on behalf of ED.’ An ED official said that ED through the petition challenged FIR on three grounds including ‘jurisdiction’, ‘intention’ and ‘law application.’
“Soren’s petition is based on the ED action in Delhi and thus the central probe agency challenged the jurisdiction. The ED pointed finger at Soren saying it was malafide. On applicability, the ED clarified through its petition that SC/ST Act does not apply on persons doing official duty,” the ED official said.
“Soren had complained that when he came to Ranchi on January 30, he came to know about the ED action at his residence in Delhi through the media. He alleged that information suggested that an operation was conducted at Jharkhand Bhawan, and 5/01, Shanti Niketan in New Delhi to harass and defame him and his entire community as he belongs to tribal community and the officials are non-tribal. On 27 and 28 January 2024, he visited New Delhi and stayed at Shanti Niketan which is taken on lease by the State of Jharkhand for housing and office use. On January 29, 2024, he came to know that ED officials along with others had allegedly conducted searches in that premises. This search was done without any information to me and this has disgraced him in the eyes of the general public,” the police official quoted above said, quoting the FIR.
“The FIR was registered under SC/ST Act sections 3(1) (p) (instituting false, malicious or vexatious legal proceedings), (r) (intentional insult or intimidation to humiliate to any place within public law), (s) (abusing by caste name in any place within public view), (u) (promoting feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will),” the official further said.
Senior superintendent of police (Ranchi), Chandan Kumar Sinha confirmed the development. “Action is being taken by the investigating officer (IO) of the case,” he said.
Officer-in-charge of ST/SC police station Mahesh Munda echoed the same. IO Deepak Kumar Ray could not be reached for his comment on the matter.
