Investigating agencies arrest 4 more people in connection with Hemant Soren money laundering case

With these arrests, the number of people detained in the case has increased to eight.

Ranchi:

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested four more people in connection with an alleged illegal land grab-related money laundering case involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and others, official sources said on Wednesday.

Those detained under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are Antu Tirkey, Priya Ranjan Sahay, Bipin Singh and Irshad, they said.

On Tuesday, the ED conducted searches at the residence of Tilki and some others here.

With these arrests, the number of people detained in the case has increased to eight.

Soren, 48, was arrested by the ED soon after he resigned as chief minister in January. He is currently lodged in Birsa Munda jail in Hotwar under judicial custody. The main accused, former revenue department sub-inspector Banu Pratap Prasad, Mohammad Saddam Hussian and Afshar Ali have also been arrested.

The investigation against Soren involves an 8.86-acre land in Ranchi, which the ED said was illegally obtained by Soren.

The agency had filed a chargesheet before the PMLA special court on March 30 against Soren, Prasad and Soren’s so-called “frontman” Raj Kumar Pahan and Hilarias Hilariyas Kachhap, and associates of former Prime Minister Binod Singh.

The ED has also attached land in Ranchi and requested the court to confiscate the land.

The money laundering probe stems from multiple FIRs registered by the Jharkhand police in land “scam” cases against several persons, including state government officials.

The main defendant in the case is Prasad, the custodian of government records. The ED said in a statement that he was accused of “abusing” his official position by providing assistance to several persons, including Soren, in connection with the illegal occupation, acquisition and possession of proceeds of crime in the form of land property. Activity. .

“The land mafia is active in Jharkhand and they used to forge land records in Ranchi,” it claimed.

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