The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has introduced invoices of a refrigerator and a smart TV as crucial evidence in the ongoing money laundering case against former Jharkhand CM, Hemant Soren. The ED alleges that Soren acquired 8.86 acres of land worth over Rs 31 crore through illegal means.
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The federal probe agency filed a charge sheet against Hemant Soren and four others last month, presenting the invoices obtained from two Ranchi-based dealers as part of the evidence.
Hemant Soren, who was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with the money laundering case related to alleged land grab, is currently in judicial custody in Birsa Munda jail at Hotwar in Ranchi.
Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, along with the other accused, faces allegations of acquiring 8.86 acres of land valued at over Rs 31 crore through illegal means. The ED’s prosecution complaint was taken cognizance of by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi on April 4.
The federal probe agency’s investigation revealed that the refrigerator and smart TV were purchased in the name of family members of Santosh Munda, who claimed to have been a caretaker of the property belonging to Hemant Soren for over a decade. Munda’s statement contradicted Soren’s denial of any association with the said land.
Additionally, the ED dismissed claims made by another individual, Rajkumar Pahan, regarding ownership of the land, alleging that Pahan was a front for Soren to maintain control over the asset. The agency highlighted a letter purportedly written by Pahan to the deputy commissioner of Ranchi, seeking restoration of the land’s ownership after ED issued a summons to Hemant Soren.
The state government “restored” the land to Pahan on January 29, two days before Soren’s arrest, so that the JMM leader’s control and possession remained “unimpeded,” the ED alleged.
According to the ED, the land in question was originally designated as ‘Bhuinhari’ property, which cannot be transferred or sold under normal circumstances. The agency asserted that ex-Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren had allegedly evicted the rightful owners and gained control of the land in 2010-11.
Santosh Munda, identified as the caretaker of the property, disclosed to the ED that Hemant Soren and his wife had visited the land on multiple occasions, further implicating the former chief minister in the case. The ED also claimed that Munda’s family members were residing on the property, as evidenced by the purchases of the refrigerator in 2017 and the smart TV in 2022.
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In light of these findings, the ED listed the refrigerator and smart TV invoices as evidence in the charge sheet, seeking prosecution of Soren and the other accused under the PMLA. The agency has also attached the piece of land, comprising 12 adjacent plots, valued at over Rs 31.07 crore.
