Ranchi: On Saturday, officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrived at the residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi for questioning in connection with an alleged land scam. The central agency had sent a letter instructing the CM to make himself available for questioning between January 16 and 20. Soren, in response, directed the ED to record his statement at his residence on January 20.
The Jharkhand CM and the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had previously ignored seven ED summonses. Soren accused the BJP-led central government of using central agencies to undermine his government.
Ahead of the scheduled visit by ED officials, security was heightened around Soren’s residence to maintain law and order, especially in light of protests by JMM workers and several tribal leaders. Over 1,000 security personnel were deployed, implementing a three-layer security arrangement, as confirmed by Chandan Kumar Sinha, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ranchi.