Land scam case: What ED's chargesheet against Hemant Soren says
Two months after former Jharakhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a land scam case, the agency filed a chargesheet against him on March 30. The chargesheet also names Bhanu Pratap Prasad, Raj Kumar Pahan, Hilariyas Kachhap, and Binod Singh as accused. On Thursday, a court took cognizance of the chargesheet, following which the ED sought permission to seize the 8.86 acres of land it has attached. Here is what the chargsheet revealed.
Why does this story matter?
Soren was arrested in January following questioning at his official Ranchi residence and is currently detained at the Birsa Mundal central jail in Ranchi. Before his arrest, the ED had issued nine summonses, asking Soren to be available for questioning. Notably, Soren has refuted all allegations and claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is misusing investigative agencies to destabilize democratically elected governments.
Soren accused of unlawful land occupation
The chargesheet reveals that Soren illegally occupied the 8.86-acre plot in Ranchi's Bargain area since 2011. The ED has seized this property, which is now estimated to be worth ₹31 crore. Documents supporting this claim were found in the office of revenue officer Prasad. As per the ED, the occupation of this land occurred through Soren's close aides, who have been named in the chargesheet.
Government officials involved in land record tampering
Prasad has been accused by the ED of being part of a group that tampered with government land records to enable illegal land seizures. This group allegedly included several government officials, including Soren himself. Photographic evidence from two property surveys implicates Prasad in the case, while Santosh Munda, the property's caretaker, confirmed its ownership under "Minister Ji," referring to Soren.
Soren created parallel evidence to conceal illegal land: ED
The agency also said that as soon as it issued the first summons to Soren last August, he began creating "parallel evidence" to conceal his illegal possession of the land. This land was "forcefully" acquired by him and his father in 2010-11, ED alleged. The chargesheet, quoting a Munda community member whose ancestors held the land, stated that Hilariyas kept the land under his watch and did not allow them to visit since it had been "bounded by CM Sahab."
Seizure of assets and arrests in land scandal
In addition to the land, authorities have confiscated ₹36 lakh in cash and a BMW car from Soren's Delhi residence. The ED has seized properties worth ₹256 crore that were illegally obtained by this 'syndicate'. Sixteen individuals have been arrested in relation to this case, including Soren and former Ranchi DC, IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan.
