Ranchi: Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren leaves from Enforcement Directorate's office

After a prolonged moment of speculation in the media and a hide-and-seek drama, Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chairperson Hemant Soren was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the land scam case on Wednesday night, sources confirmed.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, JMM Chief Hemant Soren met Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhawan and handed over his resignation after over six hours of questioning by the ED in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the alleged land scam case.

Meanwhile, opposition parties hit out over Hemant Soren's arrest.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targeted the central agencies and said that they have become the BJP's 'eliminate opposition cell.

"ED, CBI, IT etc. are no longer government agencies; now they have become the BJP's 'eliminate opposition cell'. The BJP itself, steeped in corruption, is running a campaign to destroy democracy in its obsession with power," posted Rahul Gandhi on X.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also reacted to the same and said that forcing Hemant Soren to resign is a blow to Federalism.

Recently, Champai Soren wrote a letter to Governor CP Radhakrishnan, staking a claim to form the new government in the state.

Champai Soren, the state transport minister, is a seven-time MLA and he represents the Seraikella constituency in Jharkhand. Before joining the JMM, he was an independent MLA.

According to the ED, CM Soren was questioned as a part of the probe into the 'huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia'.

The probe pertains to huge amounts of proceeds of crime generated by forging official records by showing 'fake sellers' and purchasers in the guise of forged or bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores. (ANI)