RANCHI: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren faced further trouble as the ED registered another case against him on Tuesday for disobeying summons issued by the investigating agency. Despite receiving 10 summons from the ED, Soren appeared before the agency for questioning only twice, exacerbating his legal woes.
The complaint outlines its attempts to summon Soren in connection with a money laundering case linked to a land scam. Sources indicate that the ED intends to seize 8.5 acres of land in Bargain, Ranchi, allegedly acquired illegally by Soren for construction of a banquet hall.
An intriguing turn of events emerged from WhatsApp chats retrieved from the mobile phones of Soren’s aide Binod Kumar Singh, revealing plans to construct the hall. A 13-page remand note submitted to the Special PMLA Court disclosed the exchange of proposed banquet hall plans between Singh and Soren on April 06, 2021.