File Picture : Twitter/ ANI
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 state capital Ranchi on Thursday.
The agency wants to question and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
The ED had earlier arrested his political aide Pankaj Mishra and two others in this case.
The agency has said it has “identified” proceeds of crimes relating to illegal mining in the state to the tune of more than Rs 1,000 crore till now.
The ED probe began after the agency raided Mishra and his alleged associates on July 8, covering 19 locations in Sahibganj, Barhait, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki and Barharwa in Jharkhand in the case linked to alleged instances of illegal mining and extortion.
Reacting to the ED move, ED will work .We’ll approach Court if there’s injustice. Don’t know if ED can summon CM. If so, CM will respond after consulting legal experts. Is it legal to summon him for those allegations? If so, PM should also be summoned in several cases. It’s vendetta politics: Manoj Pandey, JMM told ANI
Common knowledge that Centre is working in a planned manner to destabilise govts in non-BJP states. Gov said there’ll be atom bomb explosion. When all planning to destabilise Govt has been made, summoning not unusual. ED should’ve first gone to Morbi, J’khand Cong chief Rajesh Thakur told ANI while reacting to the ED move to summon CM Hemant Soren.
