The Enforcement Directorate (ED) stirred concern on Monday as they searched the Delhi residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who has been evading their summons for questioning. Although Soren was not found at home, the ED claimed to have seized documents and his BMW car, alleging they were acquired using illicit funds.
The Chief Minister has ignored seven summons so far, and media reports suggest he is preparing to challenge the ED's summons in court.
Despite visits to Jharkhand Bhawan and his father's residence at Motilal Nehru Marg, the investigating team failed to locate Mr. Soren. His chartered plane remained parked at the Delhi Airport, leaving ED officials in the dark about his whereabouts.
A late-night mail from the Chief Minister's Office informed the ED that they could interrogate him at his Ranchi home at 1 pm on January 31, the last day of the allotted time.
Sources cited by NDTV suggest that Soren is gearing up to move the Supreme Court tomorrow to contest the ED's summons. He was last questioned in Ranchi on January 20 in connection with the money laundering case related to an alleged land deal.
Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), a person's statement must be recorded before any arrest. If compliance is in doubt, sources indicate that Soren could face arrest.
The alleged Rs 600-crore scam involves a "huge racket" for changing the ownership of government land, subsequently sold to builders, according to the agency. Fourteen individuals, including IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, have been arrested in the case.
Soren claims to be the target of a significant conspiracy, stating, "A conspiracy was hatched against me, but the final nail in the coffin of the conspirators will be put by us... We will not be scared; your leader will face the bullets first and keep your morale high," addressing the workers of his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha last week.