PMLA court acknowledges ED’s prosecution complaint against incarcerated Hemant Soren

The Special PMLA court in Ranchi has taken note of a prosecution complaint filed by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Saturday against incarcerated Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and former chief minister, Hemant Soren, regarding a money laundering case associated with a land ‘scam’.

The extensive complaint, spanning 5,500 pages, was presented before a special PMLA court in Ranchi on Saturday. Additionally, the central investigative agency has seized 8.5 acres of land linked to the ‘scam’ case.

Soren was apprehended on January 31 and is presently detained at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Hotwar, Ranchi. His judicial custody was extended until April 4 by the PMLA court on March 21.

On February 29, The Jharkhand High Court rejected a plea filed by the former CM, seeking permission to attend the budget session of the state assembly.

Previously, the ED asserted that it had discovered cash exceeding Rs 36 lakh in possession of the JMM leader, along with documents related to the investigation into the purported acquisition of land through ‘fraudulent means’. The agency further stated that parcels of land spanning 8.5 acres were part of the alleged criminal proceeds acquired by the former CM.