Former CM Hemant Soren's ED remand extended in money laundering case

The Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court has extended the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) remand of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by three days. The extension is related to a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

Hemant Soren, a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was initially remanded to ED custody for five days on February 7 by a special PMLA court in Ranchi. He was produced before the court again today amid heavy security.

The former Chief Minister was arrested on the night of January 31 after a seven-hour questioning session by the ED in connection with the money laundering case. He resigned from his position before the arrest.
Earlier today, the ED informed the court that they had recovered cash exceeding Rs 36 lakh from Hemant Soren's possession, along with documents linked to the ongoing investigation into an alleged land acquisition by fraudulent means.

The agency revealed that land parcels covering 8.5 acres were considered criminal proceeds acquired by the former CM. In a raid conducted on April 13, 2023, property-related records and registers were discovered in the possession of Revenue Sub-Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad.

The ED stated that the probe unveiled a larger syndicate involving corrupt practices in forcefully acquiring properties and using false deeds. Bhanu Pratap Prasad and others are alleged to be part of this syndicate.
According to the ED, there are sufficient reasons to believe that Hemant Soren is guilty of money laundering under section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002. The investigation focuses on the proceeds of crime generated through the alleged forgery of official records, including fake sellers and purchasers, using forged or bogus documents to acquire valuable land worth crores.