Jharkhand
31 January 2024
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
In a startling development, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against senior officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), accusing them of conducting a search operation at his Delhi residence to harass and discredit him and his community. The complaint was officially registered on Wednesday, as confirmed by Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Sinha.
The move comes in the wake of a recent extensive search carried out by the ED at Soren’s residence in Delhi, lasting nearly 13 hours. The ED team was investigating a money laundering case related to an alleged land deal in Jharkhand. During the operation, the agency claimed to have discovered 36 lakh rupees in cash, an SUV, and what they deemed ‘objectionable’ documents.
Soren vehemently denies ownership of the seized car and the recovered cash, asserting that the search was conducted with the intention of causing mental, psychological, and emotional trauma to him and his family. The FIR filed against ED officials includes sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alleging intimidation and humiliation on the grounds of caste.
Senior officials of the ED find themselves at the center of this legal storm, accused of improperly targeting the Chief Minister and his community. The BJP, however, has raised doubts about the authenticity of the FIR, pointing out discrepancies such as the mention of Sahibganj as Soren’s constituency, which contradicts his actual constituency of Barhet. Babulal Marandi, BJP state president in Sahibganj district, commented, “It seems that Hemant Soren has lost his mind. The Chief Minister has mentioned a constituency called Sahibganj in the FIR, but such a constituency does not exist.”
The political implications of this incident are reverberating, with the BJP calling for a thorough verification of the FIR’s authenticity. The allegations and counter-allegations between the ruling party and the opposition are expected to fuel debates both within the state and at the national level.
As the legal battle unfolds, questions linger about the motivations behind the ED’s search operation and the subsequent FIR. The investigation into the alleged money laundering case and the clash between the state government and the central investigative agency add layers of complexity to an already politically charged environment.
Citizens and political observers alike are watching closely as the legal drama unfolds, eager to understand the implications for both the Chief Minister and the ED officials involved. The incident adds another chapter to the ongoing power struggle in Jharkhand, leaving many wondering about the long-term consequences for the state’s political landscape.