Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren Arrested by ED in Connection with Alleged Land Scam

In a significant turn of events, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Hemant Soren shortly after he relinquished the position of Jharkhand Chief Minister. The arrest was made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with an ongoing investigation into an alleged land scam in the state. This move comes after an elaborate attempt by the federal agency to apprehend the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader in Delhi, where teams were stationed at his residence and the airport. However, Soren managed to evade authorities, traveling by road to reach Ranchi on Tuesday.

Officials familiar with the matter revealed that the ED has gathered evidence suggesting Soren’s involvement as the primary beneficiary in the alleged land-related irregularities in Ranchi. The investigation focuses on a network of brokers and businessmen who, over the years, engaged in creating fake deeds and forged records in registrar offices and subsequently sold them.

An official who wishes to remain anonymous confirmed, “We have evidence that Hemant Soren had grabbed some land under probe in Jharkhand, which was illegally obtained by others through falsified documents.”

The arrest of Kolkata-based businessman Amit Kumar Agarwal last year is crucial to Soren’s case, as Agarwal is suspected to be handling tainted funds for several politicians, including the former Jharkhand CM. The ED had filed a charge sheet in the alleged land scam on June 12, 2023, naming Agarwal, an arrested Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) Chhavi Ranjan, and eight other individuals.

The alleged scam involves the usurpation of prime land parcels, including a 4.55-acre defense land in Morabadi Mouza, Ranchi, and a 7.6-acre parcel at Hehal, Ranchi, collectively valued at over ₹74 crore. The ED has recovered documents related to at least 27 properties, for which fake deeds were allegedly created by the accused.

The modus operandi involved manufacturing back-dated deeds of targeted properties from Kolkata, planting them in original registers at the Registrar of Assurances (RoA), Kolkata, obtaining certified copies of those deeds, and then disposing of the properties. The charge sheet details instances where fake deeds were created for the sale of defense land and other parcels, implicating various individuals in the process.

The ED officials stated that Hemant Soren would be produced before a court on Thursday, where the exact charges against him would be explained. The allegations against Soren relate to his purported involvement in the illegal acquisition of land through falsified documents in the state of Jharkhand.