Ranchi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday filed a charge sheet in the PMLA court in Ranchi against former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and suspended Revenue Sub Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad in the 8.46-acre land scam in Ranchi’s Bargain area.
Soren was arrested on January 31. Today, he completed 60 days of his judicial custody. As a rule, it is mandatory to file a charge sheet within 60 days of the arrest of an accused. The ED team reached Ranchi Court at around 4.20 pm with the charge sheet papers in a trunk. ED has filed a charge sheet against Hemant Soren on a total of 5,500 pages. In this, his role in money laundering has been explained in detail.
After his arrest, the ED took Hemant Soren on remand and started questioning him on February 3. On the orders of the court, his remand period has been extended twice, and he was interrogated for a total of 13 days on various points, including transactions in purchase of land, WhatsApp chatting, transfer, and posting of officers. The agency had told the court that Soren did not give direct and satisfactory answers on many points.
Soren has been continuously denying his ownership of the land. On this, ED had placed before him the evidence of 8.46 acres of land found from the mobile phone of the Revenue Sub Inspector of Badgai Zone, Bhanu Pratap Prasad.
Soren is currently in judicial custody till April 4. After the ED charge sheet, further proceedings to prosecute him will begin.
