The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet alleging a complex network of corruption and manipulation in a ₹600 crore land scam, implicating former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Alongside Soren, revenue officer Bhanu Pratap Prasad and two other government employees stand accused in the case.
Soren is under investigation for his alleged involvement in an illegal land ownership racket orchestrated by mafia elements in Jharkhand. He resigned from his position just before his arrest.
According to the charge sheet, statements and documents indicate Soren’s purported association with the ‘land mafia’ and his alleged benefit from the proceeds of the illicit activities.
During the investigation, officials discovered a 44-page file in Pratap’s office containing crucial information about an 8.86-acre land owned by Hemant Soren. The chargesheet asserts that Pratap frequently referred to Soren as ‘boss’.
The ED claims that Soren illegally occupied the 8.86-acre land in Ranchi’s Bargain area since 2011. The property, now valued at ₹31 crores, has been seized by the ED. Allegedly, the land was occupied through Soren’s associates Ranjit Singh, Hilarius Kachhap, and Rajkumar, according to the ED’s findings.
The agency alleges that Pratap was part of a syndicate altering government land documents to facilitate land grabs, with involvement from several government officials, including Soren.
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ED has included photos of two surveys conducted on the property, implicating Pratap among the accused. The property’s caretaker, Santosh Munda, affirmed its ownership under “Minister Ji”, referring to Hemant Soren.
A photo retrieved from accused Binod Kumar’s mobile revealed plans for constructing a bank hall on the property.
In his statement to the ED, Soren claimed ignorance regarding the property and remained silent about his communications with Binod. Pratap allegedly referred to Soren as his boss and orchestrated the land grab on the 8.86 acres by manipulating government records, the agency alleges.
Diaries and messages on another accused’s phone indicate financial transactions involving Pratap. ED has collected statements from 33 witnesses and seized thousands of pages of documents. From Hemant Soren’s residence in Delhi, ₹36 lakh cash and a BMW car were confiscated. ED has now seized properties worth ₹256 crores, which were allegedly illegally acquired by this syndicate.
Sixteen accused, including Hemant Soren and former Ranchi DC, IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, have been arrested in connection with the case. Soren has denied the allegations against him, accusing the BJP of exploiting probe agencies to destabilize democratically elected governments.
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