New Delhi/Ranchi: Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren is in trouble again after getting relief for a short period. Just two months ago, he was facing disqualification from the House after the charges that he favoured his acquaintances in connection with a mining lease. The issue has been swept under the carpet. Now, the Enforcement Directorate has issued summons to Soren for questioning him on Thursday in a money-laundering case related to illegal mining in the state, an official of the directorate said on Wednesday.
The probe agency, which has already arrested his aide Pankaj Mishra, will question Soren at their regional office in the state capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi. According to official sources, the agency will question as well as record the Chief Minister’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The mining scam is worth Rs 1,000 crore, ED sources said.
The agency began to probe the case after raiding the residential and official premises of Mishra and his associates on July 8. The ED sleuths raided 19 locations, including Sahibganj, Barhait, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki, in Jharkhand. They laid their hands on a big scam connected to illegal mining and extortion.
