‘Missing’ amid ED raid, Hemant Soren turns up in Ranchi. What’s going on?

Where is Hemant Soren? On Monday, officials from the Enforcement Directorate turned up at the Jharkhand chief minister’s Delhi home looking to question him in a money-laundering case. But Soren wasn’t there. The agency reportedly also seized a couple of luxury cars and lakhs of Rupees in cash from Soren. The Jharkhand chief minister was on 20 January questioned at his official residence in Ranchi in the alleged land scam case. Now, it has been reported that Soren is back in Ranchi. Let’s take a closer look: What happened? Soren, 48, who is also the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), left for the National Capital on the night of 27 January. His scheduled government events in the state on Monday were cancelled without any explanation. The trip to the National Capital on Saturday night triggered much speculation. “The visit was not planned. The sudden plan was made after the issuance of a fresh summons by the ED. He has his scheduled events lined up, including a program in Chaibasa on 29 January, in Palamu on 30 January, and in Giridih on 31 January,” an official told PTI on condition of anonymity. His trip to Delhi came in the backdrop of the ED asking him whether he would be available for questioning on either 29 or 31 January. The investigation pertains to a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand, according to the agency. As per The Week, this is the tenth summons issued to Soren in the case.

Then, on Monday, Enforcement Directorate officials arrived at Soren’s Delhi home.

As per India Today,  agency officials spent nearly 13 hours outside Soren’s home and also searched the premises. The Jharkhand chief minister himself was unavailable for questioning. The agency ultimately seized two BMWs, ‘incriminating documents’ and Rs 36 lakh in cash. Sources told the outlet the ED was keeping an eye out for Soren at the airport. [caption id=“attachment_12874812” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Representational image[/caption] The outlet reported that the phones of members of Soren’s staff remain turned off. The ED also questioned Soren’s driver. As per India Today TV, Soren in a letter told the ED he would be available for questioning at his residence at 1 pm on 31 January. Soren in the letter dated 29 January claimed the case was a politically-motivated “roving enquiry.” He has also accused the ED of character assassination and claimed that false information is being leaked to the press – leading to a trial by media. “You are well aware that the Budget Session of the Legislative Assembly will be held between 2nd and 29th February 2024 and the undersigned will be pro-occupied with preparations for the same apart from other prior scheduled official engagements. In these circumstances, your insistence to record a further statement of the undersigned on or before 31st January 2024 rocks of malice and reveals your political agenda to disrupt the functioning of the State Government and prevent an elected representative of the people from discharging his official duties,” Soren wrote as per Indian Express. “The undersigned’s apprehensions that your acts are malefice and politically motivated stand vindicated. The issuance of summon to the undersigned is wholly vexatious and in the colourable exercise of powers given by the statute,” he wrote. “Preserve video recording of seven-hour questioning (of 20 January) to make available to the court of law,” he added as per The Week. JMM, family defend CM Soren Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya reiterated that Soren was set to appear before the central agency on Wednesday. “CM has gone to Delhi for personal work, and he will return as well. He has been called on 31 January. We are ready for 31 January. You asked us to tell you the place and time, and we told you the place would be CM’s residence on Kanke Road and the time would be 1 pm. Who is creating all the confusion, then? The way the political situation is being presented is against democratic values,” Bhattacharya said.

A member of Soren’s family also claimed a narrative is being “designed” to delegitimise the JMM leader.

The family member, speaking on condition of anonymity, told PTI that a false narrative was being set despite repeated communication to ED and compliance to the summons including willingness to “record his statement on 31 January, 2024 at 1 pm at his residence.” “It is a political vendetta. Not being in the house is not equivalent to fleeing. If a person is not in his residence, he can be anywhere. This is not a warrant that he has to be available. He is in Delhi and will reach Ranchi tonight or on Tuesday,” the family member told PTI. “In spite of sending repeated communications and compliance to the summons on his (CM) side, they are acting in haste… It is designed to malign his image and build a media narrative that is being played to delegitimise his position,” the family member said. The person said Soren is well and doing fine and was throughout in Delhi busy with his own work. But ED sources told PTI Soren sent an email regarding the fresh summons but did not confirm the date or time. Members of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand have also been placed on standby in Ranchi, as per India Today. The ruling alliance in Jharkhand comprises the JMM, the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The legislators are set to attend a meeting to discuss the prevailing situation. ‘Gone missing’ The BJP claimed Soren had “gone missing.” BJP’s Nishikant Dubey alleged that Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren may replace him and that the Jharkhand chief minister has called all allied MLAs to reach Ranchi “with their luggage.”

Dubey asked how a man who is absconding will protect the people of the state.

“A big advice to those who are doing wrong on the instructions of Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji, the CM is proving himself to be a fugitive, running away from facing the investigating agency, the man is facing insults in the country and abroad all day long. How will that man protect the officers or the people of the state?” the BJP leader wrote on X. “Hemant Soren ji has called his own, JMM, Congress and allied MLAs to reach Ranchi with their luggage and bags. According to the information, there is a proposal to make Kalpana Soren ji (Hemant Soren’s wife) the Chief Minister. The CM has said that fearing an ED interrogation, they will reach Ranchi by road and announce their arrival,” he added. “Today, the honour and respect of the people of Jharkhand were destroyed by our Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji, just by going missing,” BJP parliamentarian from Jharkhand, Nishikant Dubey, wrote on X. “According to media sources, late at night Hemant ji, wearing slippers and covering his face with a sheet, ran away from his Delhi residence on foot. Ajay Singh, the security personnel of a special branch who went with him to Delhi, is also missing,” Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi claimed in a post on X. “The mobile phones of both of them have also been switched off. Since then, the ED and Delhi Police are searching for them. There cannot be any other example of such gross negligence regarding the security of the chief minister,” the former CM said. Meanwhile, security was been tightened in key government installations, including the CM House, Raj Bhavan and central government offices, when the ED team reached the residence of Soren in Delhi. Soren’s party JMM has been staging protests against ED summons to Soren. They have also asked the governor to intervene.

Jharkhand governor CP Radhakrishnan has said he is keeping an eye on things.

“I am keeping a watch on the overall situation as the custodian of the Constitution. It is the job of the Governor, I am doing it. We will cross the bridge when it comes,” he was quoted as saying by The Week. As per Mint, the ED has already arrested 14 persons including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, who served as the director of the state’s Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi, in connection with the matter. With inputs from agencies