Amid ED's Search, 'Untraceable' Hemant Soren Emerges In Ranchi

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, previously reported as "untraceable" by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for over 30 hours, returned to his official residence in Ranchi on Tuesday. He was seen arriving in his official car, smiling, and acknowledging the media. Speculation about his location had intensified following ED searches at his official residence in Delhi on Monday, related to an alleged land fraud case.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren holds a meeting of the state's ministers and ruling side's MLAs at CM residence in Ranchi. pic.twitter.com/OVM4ig3qZ0
— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2024

Soren convened a gathering with legislators from the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) at his official residence, triggering speculation about the Chief Minister's potential arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during his scheduled questioning on January 31. The meeting, which included his wife Kalpana Soren, involved instructing all MLAs from the JMM-led alliance to remain in Ranchi and participate in discussions about the current political scenario in the state. The JMM, along with the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), constitutes the ruling alliance in Jharkhand.

#WATCH | Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren holds a meeting of the state's ministers and ruling side's MLAs at CM's residence in Ranchi.
His wife Kalpana Soren is also present at the meeting. pic.twitter.com/oo2GJhZ0gi
— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2024

The convened meeting aims to strategize on the current political situation and the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) scheduled questioning of Chief Minister Soren in connection with the alleged land scam on Wednesday.

Soren, who departed from Ranchi to Delhi on the night of January 27, communicated via email to the ED, agreeing to undergo another round of questioning by investigators at his Ranchi residence around 1 pm on January 31, according to ED sources.

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In response to these developments, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been enforced within a 100-meter radius of Soren's official residence, Raj Bhavan, and the ED office in Ranchi.

JMM legislators, present at Soren's official residence in Delhi, stayed late into the night on Monday after an ED team visited to question him regarding the money laundering investigation into the alleged land scam.

The ED had previously questioned Soren at his official residence in Ranchi on January 20 and issued a tenth summons, offering dates for questioning on either January 29 or January 31. Soren had skipped the previous nine summonses. Official sources initially claimed that Soren was "missing," and attempts to contact him by the probe agency were unsuccessful.

The JMM criticized the ED's actions, deeming them "unconstitutional" and alleging political motivation. JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya asserted that Soren, who went to Delhi for personal reasons, would return, and the ED's actions were unwarranted as he has no connection to the case.