Amidst the Enforcement Directorate officials’ attempts to question Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in a money laundering case, the situation has taken a surprising turn of events. According to official sources, the Jharkhand Chief Minister has been “missing” for the past 24 hours, but his party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, insists that the Chief Minister is safe and in contact with them. A family member disputes the rumours as well, claiming that a “false” narrative is being constructed to undermine the position of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader.
Soren’s party too asserts that the chief minister, who departed from Ranchi to Delhi on January 27, went for personal matters and will return soon.
The ED claims to have no information about Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s whereabouts. The chartered plane on which he travelled from Ranchi to Delhi is parked at the Delhi airport, and the phones of several people on his staff are also switched off. The ED has seized his BMW car in Delhi, and his driver has been questioned without yielding any useful information. Some documents and cash worth ₹36 lakh have been discovered, according to sources. ED officials visited his residences in Delhi and the Jharkhand Bhavan but couldn’t locate him. It is reported that Mr Soren left his Delhi residence late on Sunday night.
Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi alleges that Mr. Soren “ran away from his Delhi home on foot late at night” and has offered a reward of Rs 11,000 to anyone who can find and bring the CM.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has received a letter from Mr. Soren’s office, stating that he will be available for questioning at 1 pm tomorrow. The BJP’s Jharkhand unit claims that the Chief Minister is “absconding” and has urged Governor CP Radhakrishnan to take notice. The Governor is keeping an eye on the situation and stated that he will act when necessary.
The JMM and its ally Congress argue that the Chief Minister will return to Ranchi soon and accuse the ED of politically motivated actions. JMM has organized rallies in support of Jharkhand CM Soren across the state. Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur claims that the confusion about Mr Soren’s location is part of a “well-designed conspiracy” to create a situation for the imposition of the President’s rule in the state.
All MLAs of the JMM-led ruling alliance have been instructed to stay in Jharkhand for a meeting on Tuesday. JMM general secretary Vinod Kumar Singh mentioned that the MLAs will discuss the future course of action.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleges plans to name CM Soren’s wife Kalpana as the Chief Minister, claiming that the Chief Minister has called JMM, Congress, and allied MLAs to reach Ranchi. CM Soren is under investigation in connection with an alleged racket of illegal land ownership change by the mafia in Jharkhand. The ED has arrested 14 people in the case so far, and questions arise about the timing and intent of the investigation.
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