Hemant Soren's ED remand extended by five days

A Ranchi-based PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court has extended the ED (Enforcement Directorate) remand period of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren by five days. The ED has been continuously interrogating Soren since 3 February.

Upon completion of the previously approved remand period, Soren was produced in court at 2.30 pm on Wednesday. During the appearance in the court, a large number of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) workers and Soren's supporters were present on the premises, raising slogans of 'Hemant Soren zindabad (long live)'.

In court, the ED told the judge that Soren's interrogation has not been completed yet as he has not given satisfactory answers to questions, hence the remand period should be extended by seven more days. On this, the court approved remand for five more days.

The ED has arrested Soren on charges of being associated with a scam involving eight-and-a-half acres of land located in Bariatu, Ranchi. Revenue employee Bhanu Pratap, who was already in jail, has also been taken on remand.

Now, the agency will interrogate both by making them sit face to face. In his statement given to ED, the revenue employee is supposed to have said, "The officers told me that the land located at Bariatu belongs to the boss. In the circle of officers, boss meant Hemant Soren.”

It is worth noting that during the discussion on the trust vote in the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday, Soren had challenged the ED saying if it could present a single bit of evidence related to the eight-and-a-half acres of land for which he has been arrested, he would retire from active politics and leave Jharkhand.