Indian Tribal News Service
Ranchi
In what would spell serious trouble for Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand High Court on Friday directed the Enforcement Directorate and the Registrar of Companies to probe the money laundering allegation against him, his brother Basant Soren and their associates.
Hearing a PIL filed against Soren and his family for alleged amassing of disproportionate assets, the High Court asked the officials to probe and file a report in two weeks on the status of alleged money laundering by the CM. The PIL claimed that the CM had amassed assets beyond known source of income.
The Chief Minister is also facing a PIL in connection to leasing of stone quarry mines that was sanctioned to him. After the Governor forwarded a complaint in this regard, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to the Jharkhand government seeking ‘authentication’ documents pertaining to the mining lease granted to the Chief Minister.
In a letter to the State Chief Secretary Sukhdeo Singh, the ECI sought detailed documents related to the mining lease in the Angara block of Ranchi to the Chief Minister, who also holds the mining portfolio in the Jharkhand Government.
State government officials confirmed receiving the letter and said the documents linked to the mining lease were under verification and would be sent as the process is complete.
The letter to the state government from the ECI comes a couple of months after senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Raghubar Das released documents claiming that Chief Minister Hemant Soren had obtained a lease of 0.88 acres in the Angara block of Ranchi.
The documents stated that Soren, who also holds the Environment and Forests department portfolio, received the environmental clearance for the mine from State Environment Impact Assessment Authority on September 18 within days after applying.
Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan said the State had committed ‘a mistake’ but the lease has since been ‘surrendered’.
Since the Governor is empowered to disqualify anyone as an elected lawmaker, based on the opinion of the Election Commission, under Article 192 of the Constitution, both Hemant and Basant run the risk of losing their MLAship. Ally Congress is already restless in the State accusing Soren of not paying heed to the coalition partner’s demands.
