Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has filed a case against senior officers of the Enforcement Directorate’s Ranchi office under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The complaint, lodged at the SC/ST police station in Ranchi on Wednesday, is in response to the agency’s search operation at Mr. Soren’s residence in New Delhi on Monday. The Chief Minister alleges harassment and defamation, citing that the action targeted not only him but also his entire community.
Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police, Chandan Kumar Sinha, confirmed the FIR against some senior ED officials, stating, “We got the application from the chief minister.”
Mr. Soren is currently under ED questioning at his Ranchi residence regarding a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Speculation about his possible arrest has been circulating, and his party is reportedly preparing for such an eventuality.
The ED’s operation at the Jharkhand chief minister’s Delhi home took a dramatic turn on Monday when officials, attempting to question him, found him absent. They seized ₹36 lakh in cash and a BMW X7, valued at over ₹1 crore. In his complaint, Mr. Soren denies ownership of the BMW and any involvement with illicit cash.
The BJP had earlier claimed Mr. Soren had gone ‘missing,’ with Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi even offering a reward of ₹11,000 for information on his whereabouts. However, Mr. Soren appeared in Ranchi on Tuesday, criticizing the search conducted in his absence as “uncalled for” and “unconstitutional.” His party asserts that the Enforcement Directorate had agreed to question him at his Ranchi home on Wednesday.
In his official complaint, Mr. Soren, identifying as a “member of Scheduled Tribe,” names specific individuals, including Mr. Kapil Raj, Mr. Deovrat Jha, Mr. Anupam Kumar, and Mr. Aman Patel, along with “unknown others” and “all officers of the Directorate of Enforcement, Ranchi Zonal Office, having their office at Hinoo, Ranchi.” He claims the search operation in New Delhi was conducted without notice and without his required presence.
The case further adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation, as the Chief Minister fights back against what he perceives as an unwarranted intrusion into his personal and community space. The legal proceedings are expected to unfold in the coming days as the Enforcement Directorate responds to the allegations made by Mr. Soren.
