Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was said to be "untraceable" by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) ahead of his scheduled questioning in a money laundering case, arrived at his official residence in Ranchi on Tuesday. Soren, addressing reporters, mentioned that he had traveled by road from Delhi, covering a distance of over 1250 km. He asserted his commitment to Mahatma Gandhi's principles and ideologies, paying tributes to the Father of the Nation.
Soren chaired meetings with alliance MLAs at the Chief Minister's House, discussing the current political situation in the state. Photographs and videos shared by Soren's office showed MLAs and ministers expressing solidarity and signing a letter of support, fueling speculations that Soren's wife, Kalpana Soren, might assume leadership in the event of his arrest.
Transport Minister and JMM leader Champai Soren expressed readiness for any outcome, accusing the BJP of using central agencies to destabilize the democratically elected government. Meanwhile, the state governor and DGP held a meeting to assess the law and order situation, deploying an additional 7,000 policemen and implementing prohibitory orders in key areas.
The ED will question Hemant Soren on Wednesday in Ranchi in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. The agency had reportedly visited Soren's Delhi residence and claimed he was "untraceable." Soren, in an email to the ED, alleged a political agenda behind the actions and insisted the questioning was malicious.
The ED had questioned Soren on January 20 and issued fresh summons, leading to the search of his house on Monday, where Rs 36 lakh, a BMW SUV, and "incriminating" documents were seized. The political scenario saw verbal sparring between JMM and BJP leaders, with the JMM planning to file a defamation case against the state BJP chief for allegedly defaming the Chief Minister.
(With Agency Inputs)
