The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has presented invoices for a refrigerator and a smart TV as crucial evidence in a money laundering case against Hemant Soren, the former chief minister of Jharkhand. The agency alleges that Soren acquired 8.86 acres of land worth more than ₹31 crore through illegal means.
The ED obtained these receipts from two dealers based in Ranchi and included them in its charge sheet filed against Soren and four others. The special PMLA court in Ranchi has taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint, highlighting the seriousness of the allegations.
Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with the money laundering case related to the alleged land grab. This arrest followed his resignation as chief minister. Currently, he is in judicial custody in Birsa Munda jail in Ranchi.
According to the ED, the refrigerator and smart TV were purchased in the name of family members of Santosh Munda, who claimed to be a caretaker of Soren’s property on the disputed land for over a decade. This statement contradicts Soren’s denial of any connection to the land in question.
Furthermore, the ED rejected claims by another individual, Rajkumar Pahan, asserting that Pahan acted as a front for Soren to maintain control over the asset. The agency alleges that efforts were made to manipulate records and transactions to obscure Soren’s involvement in the land acquisition.
The ED’s investigation revealed that the land originally belonged to ‘Bhuinhari’ owners, and Soren allegedly gained control of it in 2010-11 after evicting previous occupants. Statements from witnesses, including Santosh Munda, indicate Soren’s frequent visits to the land and involvement in construction activities there.
The agency argues that the purchases of household appliances in Munda’s family members’ names at the property’s address establish their residency and undermine Pahan’s claim of possession.
The ED has listed these bills as crucial evidence in the charge sheet under the ‘relied upon documents’ category, seeking prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The attached land, valued at over ₹31.07 crore, has also been seized by the ED as part of the investigation.
This case emerged during the ED’s probe into another land fraud case in 2022, revealing a network of private individuals and government officials involved in fraudulent land transactions. The ED alleges corruption and collusion among these parties to facilitate illegal land acquisitions through falsified documents and tampered records.
Sources By Agencies