The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi allegedly belonging to former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren as part of a money laundering investigation involving him and his associates, the federal agency announced on Thursday.
On March 30, the ED filed a charge sheet against the 48-year-old JMM leader and four others—Bhanu Pratap Prasad, Raj Kumar Pahan, Hilariyas Kachhap, and Binod Singh—before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi. The court acknowledged the prosecution’s complaint on Thursday, as per the ED statement.
The ED has sought the confiscation of the 8.86-acre plot of land.
Soren was arrested by the ED in January in connection with this case, following questioning at his official residence in Ranchi. He tendered his resignation as chief minister shortly before his arrest. Currently, he is in judicial custody at the Birsa Munda central jail in Ranchi’s Hotwar.
The investigation into money laundering originates from multiple FIRs filed by the Jharkhand Police concerning land “scam” cases involving several individuals, including government officials.
The main accused in the case is Prasad, a former official of the Jharkhand revenue department and custodian of government records. He is alleged to have abused his official position by assisting various individuals, including Soren, in activities related to illegal occupation, acquisition, and possession of proceeds of crime in the form of land properties, as per the agency’s statement.
The ED alleges the existence of a land mafia in Jharkhand, which engaged in forging land records in Ranchi. According to the agency, the ownership records of lands were forged to benefit this land mafia, and subsequently, these lands were sold to other individuals based on falsified documents.
Prasad, according to the ED’s charge sheet, was part of a syndicate involved in acquiring lands fraudulently through tampering with government registers and falsifying documents.
The land allegedly acquired by Soren is approximately 8.86 acres in size, located at Baragain Anchal, Bariyatu Road in Ranchi. The ED charge sheet, accessed by PTI, valued the land at Rs 31,07,02,480 based on an urban residential property rate of Rs 3,50,680 per decimal.
The agency claims Soren possessed this immovable asset since 2010-11 in a concealed manner. It also accuses him of misusing his power and influence to fabricate false evidence since the issuance of the first summons for questioning in August 2023.
The ED stated that they have recorded statements from individuals asserting that the land allegedly taken over by Soren was originally owned by their ancestors and was forcibly acquired by Shibu Soren (Hemant Soren’s father) and Hemant Soren. However, their complaints were allegedly disregarded due to the Sorens’ influence.
The agency further alleges that Soren and Prasad were involved in activities related to the proceeds of crime, including acquisition, possession, concealment, and projection of the said proceeds of crime as untainted property. Additionally, Pahan, Kachhap, and Singh are accused of assisting Soren in these activities.
Soren, in his statement to the ED, denied any connection to the said property and claimed no relation with Prasad.
During searches at a residential property reportedly under Soren’s control in Delhi on January 29, the ED claims to have seized Rs 36.34 lakh in cash, a BMW car, and incriminating documents. Soren allegedly stated that he had personally purchased the car from a showroom.
The ED has arrested 16 individuals in connection with the case, including IAS officer and former Ranchi district collector Chhavi Ranjan, Amit Kumar Agarwal, and Prem Prakash.
