Jharkhand police summon ED officials in Hemant Soren harassment case
Jharkhand Police on Thursday summoned Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for questioning next Thursday regarding a case filed by former Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo had accused ED officials of "harassing and maligning him and his community." The notices were sent to ED's Associate Director Kapil Raj, Assistant Director Devvrat Jha, and two other officials under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Last week, Jharkhand High Court forbade the police from taking any action against the ED.
Why does this story matter?
On January 31, Soren filed an FIR, claiming that ED officials searched his Delhi residence to harass and malign him as well as his tribal community. He alleged that the search was conducted intentionally, as all ED officials were non-tribals. The ED challenged Soren's case, stating that the laws for tribal communities did not apply to people holding political office. Notably, the case was filed on the same day the agency arrested Soren in an alleged land scam.
ED moved HC in response to complaints
The central agency approached the high court on February 5, arguing that the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act does not apply to persons performing official duties. The agency maintained that its officials were simply carrying out their responsibilities when they searched Soren's residence. After hearing arguments from both sides, Jharkhand High Court directed police not to take any coercive action against ED officials.
ED arrested Soren in connection with land grab case
ED arrested Soren on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam in his home state. His arrest came moments after he demitted the office of Jharkhand chief minister, and Champai Soren was named the state's next CM. The ED is currently investigating over a dozen land deals, including defense land, wherein mafias, middlemen, and bureaucrats allegedly connived to forge documents. The documents date as far back as 1932.
Soren is 3rd Jharkhand CM to be arrested
Soren is the third Jharkhand chief minister to be arrested after the ED took him into custody. Before Soren, his father, Shibu Soren, and Congress leader Madhu Koda were also similarly arrested. Soren, who assumed office for the second time on December 29, 2019, had skipped the previous nine ED summonses before he was eventually arrested. So far, 14 people, including IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, have been arrested in the case.
