The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into an alleged illegal land grab-linked money laundering case involving former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and others, with four fresh arrests made, according to official sources on Wednesday.
The individuals taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) have been identified as Antu Tirkey, Priya Ranjan Sahay, Bipin Singh, and Irshad, the sources revealed.
The ED’s actions followed searches conducted on Tuesday at the premises of Antu Tirkey and others in connection with the ongoing investigation.
These recent arrests bring the total number of individuals apprehended in connection with the case to eight.
Hemant Soren, 48, was arrested by the ED in January shortly after resigning from his position as chief minister. He is currently in judicial custody at Birsa Munda jail in Hotwar. The primary accused, former revenue department sub-inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad, along with Mohammed Saddam Hussain and Afshar Ali, have also been taken into custody.
The ED’s investigation centers on an 8.86-acre plot of land in Ranchi, which the agency alleges was unlawfully acquired by Soren.
On March 30, the ED filed a charge sheet against Soren, Prasad, and individuals identified as Soren’s “frontmen” — Raj Kumar Pahan and Hilariyas Kachhap — as well as alleged associate Binod Singh before a special PMLA court in Ranchi. The agency has also moved to attach the Ranchi land and has sought its confiscation through the court.
The money laundering probe originated from multiple FIRs registered by the Jharkhand Police regarding land “scam” cases involving various individuals, including state government officials.
The principal figure in the investigation, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, who held government records, is accused of misusing his official position to aid numerous individuals, including Soren, in activities related to illegal occupation, acquisition, and possession of proceeds of crime in the form of landed properties, according to the ED.
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“The ED has claimed that a racket of land mafia is active in Jharkhand, which engages in forging land records in Ranchi,” the agency stated.
The developments underscore the ED’s determination to pursue allegations of money laundering linked to illegal land transactions, as the investigation continues to unfold.
