Jharkhand: Hemant Soren produced in PMLA court a day after ED's arrest

Former Jharkhand CM and JMM leader Hemant Soren being produced before a PMLA court following his arrest by Enforcement Directorate in Ranchi, on Thursday. Pic/PTI

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was produced in the PMLA Court from the Enforcement Directorate office in Ranchi on Thursday, news agency ANI reported. Soren was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement in a money laundering case related to the alleged land scam on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the former Jharkhand Chief Minister alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) tried to tarnish his image by conducting raids at his Delhi residence. A day after Soren's arrest, a video message was released in which Soren claimed that he was not linked to the money laundering case in which he was arrested, ANI report said.

After a prolonged moment of speculation and an hide-and-seek drama, the former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chairperson Hemant Soren was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the land scam case on Wednesday night.

"After a full day of questioning, they decided to arrest me in a planned manner on matters that were not related to me," Soren said in a video message recorded just before his arrest, ANI reported.

"No evidence has been by them found yet. They also tried to spoil my image by conducting raids at my Delhi residence. We have to fight a new fight now against those who commit atrocities against the poor, Adivasis, Dalit and the innocent," Soren said. He further said that he has to fight a new battle against those people who are accusing innocent people--the poor, Adivasis, and Dalits.

Hemant Soren has also approached the Supreme Court against the Enforcement Directorate's action and said that the probe agency has abused all its power and acted in a malafide manner to destabilise a democratically elected government in Jharkhand, ANI reported.

Hemant Soren, who has filed the petition through advocate Pragya Baghel, has sought urgent hearing of his petition. After Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, mentioned the plea before the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, the top court agreed to list it on Friday, January 2.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, JMM Chief Hemant Soren met Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhawan and handed over his resignation. Jharkhand Transport Minister Champai Soren, who was named as JMM legislative party leader, after Hemant Soren's arrest, claimed that he has the support of 47 MLAs and will continue to safeguard the pride of the state.

According to the ED, CM Soren was questioned as a part of the probe into the 'huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia'.

(With ANI Inputs)