Hemant Soren, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and has been asked to appear for questioning on November 3 as part of their ongoing investigation into an illegal mining case, sources said on Wednesday.
The agency has requested that Soren appear before its Ranchi regional office in Jharkhand by 11.30 am.
The ED's action came almost a month after it seized a passbook and a chequebook, along with two signed cheques, belonging to Soren from the residence of his alleged close associate Pankaj Mishra. Mishra, who served as Soren's representative and had considerable influence over illegal mining businesses and inland ferry services in Sahebganj and its surrounding areas through his accomplices, also enjoyed political clout.
Mishra is currently being held in judicial custody for having control over the installation and operation of several crushers installed across multiple mining sites in the Sahebganj district of Jharkhand, as well as the mining of stone chips and boulders.
The ED disclosed the information following the filing of a Prosecution Complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against Pankaj Mishra, Bachhu Yadav, and Prem Prakash before the special court in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.
47 searches were carried out by the ED across India as part of the inquiry on various dates, and as a consequence, cash worth Rs 5.34 crore was seized, bank balances worth Rs 13.32 crore were frozen, and an inland vessel MV Infralink-III with the registration number WB 1809 was also impounded. F ive stone crushers, two Hyva trucks, incriminating documents, and two AK-47 assault rifles, among other things were also seized.
Pankaj Mishra, Bachhu Yadav, and Prem Prakash were all taken into custody by the ED between July 19 and August 4. All of the suspects who have been arrested so far are currently being held in judicial custody.
On the basis of a First Information Report filed by the Barharwa Police Station in Sahebganj under several Indian Penal Code (1860) sections, the ED began an investigation in money laundering against Pankaj Mishra and others.
Later, a number of FIRs relating illegal mining that were filed under the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Arms Act were also included in the scheduled offence.
Over Rs 1,000 crore worth of illegal mining-related proceeds have been found by the ED thus far in this case.
According to a statement from the ED earlier, "PMLA Investigation revealed that Pankaj Mishra, who enjoys political clout, as the Chief Minister's representative and MLA from Barhait, Sahebganj, Jharkhand, controls the illegal mining businesses as well as inland ferry services in Sahebganj and its adjoining areas through his accomplices."
According to the ED, Pankaj Mishra's acquisitions of around Rs 42 crore in proceeds of crime have been identified to date.
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