ED summons Jharkhand CM Soren 6th time in land scam case

ED has asked CM Soren to appear tomorrow under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the case.

Earlier, CM Hemant Soren filed a writ petition in the Jharkhand High Court challenging the summons issued against him in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Soren moved the state High Court after his petition to the Supreme Court was rejected and he was directed by the apex court on Monday to approach the concerned High Court with his plea against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons.

Hemant Soren had filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the summons issued against him and said that the case against him is a clear case of abuse of law by the Central Government and misuse of the Central agencies to destabilize the democratically elected Government of the State of Jharkhand of which he is the Chief Minister.

Soren was summoned by the ED in mid-August in connection with a land 'scam' case. However, the CM ignored the summons claiming that he was busy with the state's Independence Day celebrations.

He was asked again to appear on August 24 and September 9 but he skipped the summonses citing preoccupations.

The agency then issued its fourth summons to the Jharkhand CM, asking him to report to the agency on September 23. The CM had earlier threatened to move for legal proceedings against the Centre if it did not withdraw the summonses issued against him.

In his letter to the agency, Soren said he had provided all necessary documents and information to the ED.

He wrote that if the ED needed any information, it could refer to the documents that he had already shared with the agency.

However, he alleged that the ED summoned him on August 14, at the behest of its "political masters". (ANI)