Jharkhand Police summon reporters over news on Hemant Soren case

The Jharkhand Police today, 5 March, summoned four reporters from different news channels in New Delhi in connection with a case registered by ex-CM Hemant Soren against Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Indian Express reported.

According to the police, the journalists had reported news of the ED's seizure of a BMW car and Rs 36 lakh cash from Soren’s Delhi residence on 29 January—while it actually happened, even though Soren was not in town and not at home.

So how did they know to stake out the premises for information and images?

The police sources informed the Indian Express that the journalists would be questioned on their sources for the news.

“We have issued summons to the reporters of four media channels: News18, Zee News, Aaj Tak and News 24. We had asked them to come to Ranchi for an investigation. However, they have replied that they won’t be able to come. So, we will go to them," Ranchi senior superintendent of police Chandan Kumar Sinha told the Indian Express.

SP Sinha himself refused to speak about the reasons behind the summons.