The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning on November 3 in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state, officials said on Wednesday. Soren, 47, has been asked to appear before the federal probe agency at its regional office in the state capital Ranchi at 11 am on Thursday.
The agency wants to challenge and record the chief minister’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier arrested his political advisor Pankaj Mishra and two others — local muscleman Bachhu Yadav and Prem Prakash — in the case. The agency said it has so far “identified” proceeds of crime related to illegal mining in the state to the tune of over Rs 1,000 crore.
The ED probe began after the agency raided Mishra and his alleged associates on July 8, covering 19 locations in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj, Barhait, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki and Barharwa in a case linked to alleged cases of illegal mining and extortion. “The PMLA investigation has revealed that Mishra, who has political influence as Deputy Chief Minister, MLA from Barhait, Sahibganj, Jharkhand controls illegal mining ventures as well as inland ferry services in Sahibganj and its adjoining areas through his accomplices.
“He exercises considerable control over the mining of stone chips and boulders as well as the installation and operation of several crushers set up at various mining sites in Sahibganj,” the ED alleged after filing the chargesheet in the case in a special court in Ranchi. 47 searches were conducted and cash worth Rs 5.34 crore was seized, bank balances worth Rs 13.32 crore were frozen, besides five stone crushers, two trucks and two AKs, an inland water vessel worth Rs 30 crore was seized Rs. 47 assault rifles (these weapons were later claimed as their own by the Jharkhand Police), the ED said.
Some bank documents and checks allegedly bearing the chief minister’s name were also recovered from the searched premises, officials said. The action was initiated after the ED filed a case under the PMLA against Mishra and others in March, alleging that the former had “illegally looted or amassed huge assets for his own benefit”. It took cognizance of a state police FIR filed against Mishra at Barharwa police station in Sahibganj district and some other police complaints filed in cases of illegal mining trade under various sections of the Arms Act, Explosives Act, among others.
The second case where cash linked to alleged illegal mining in the state has been discovered is related to the ED’s case against suspended Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Pooja Singhal in May. Apart from the 2000 batch IAS officer, her businessman husband, a chartered accountant linked to the couple and others were raided by the ED as part of the money laundering probe in the case of alleged corruption in the MGNREGA scheme.
Singhal, who was in charge of the Jharkhand Mines Secretary, was suspended by the state government after she was arrested by the ED. The agency also arrested Suman Kumar, a chartered accountant linked to Singhal and her husband and seized cash amounting to Rs 19.76 crore.
