ED Demands 10-Day Remand for Hemant Soren, JMM Tries to Move MLAs to Hyd; Champai to Meet Guv at 5.30pm

Hemant Soren, the leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was arrested on Wednesday night in connection with a money laundering case subsequent to his resignation as the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has now decided to move Supreme Court seeking protection against arrest enforcement directorate.

Following his resignation, Champai Soren, a loyalist and the state’s transport minister, was designated as his successor. Hemant Soren underwent an extensive seven-hour interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate at his official residence before being arrested in relation to the money laundering case. Subsequently, he was transported to the ED office for a medical examination, according to officials.

CM-Elect Champai To Meet Guv to Meet Governor at 5.30pm

Champai Soren is likely to meet governor with 43 MLAs at 5:30pm.

Jharkhand CM-Elect Champai To Meet Guv

Jharkhand CM-elect Champai Soren has written to governor and demanded to meet at 3pm. In his letter, the leader has mentioned that he has “support of 43 MLAs’.

JMM MLAs in Huddle, to Be Sent to Hyderabad

JMM MLAs are set to be sent to Hyderabad amid the ongoing chaos in Jharkhand politics. The development came after Hemant Soren had to resign from the post of Chief Minister. Soren’s resignation came following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday.

The charter plane is has been prepared in Ranchi.

Hemant Soren’s Plea Against Arrest Heard in Jharkhand HC

The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday heard a petition filed by former chief minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. Former union minister Kapil Sibal, appearing virtually for Soren, told the court that the JMM leader was wrongly arrested by the ED.

He submitted before the court seeking more time to advance his arguments. Soren on Thursday also moved the Supreme Court challenging his arrest by the central agency in the money laundering case.

Hemant Soren Knocks SC Seeking Protection From Arrest

The Jharkhand Chief Minister has approached the Supreme Court for protection from an ED arrest. The apex court has decided to hear the matter on Friday. The case from Soren’s side was presented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal. Sibal has also informed the Supreme Court that they plan to withdraw the case from the High Court.

Hemant Soren’s Video Message Before Arrest

According to sources, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren recorded a video message before he was arrested. In the video, he said: “The ED has come to arrest me today. After questioning me for the entire day, they have decided to arrest me in a planned manner, on an issue which is not linked to me. They (ED) found no evidence, they even tried to tarnish my image by conducting raids in Delhi,” said former Jharkhand CM.”

Champai Soren’s First Reaction After Being Elected JMM Chief

After being elected as JMM legislative leader, Champai Soren said, “We will continue to work to safeguard the pride of Jharkhand. We have staked claim to form the government in the state. We have the support of 47 MLAs. You have seen how the voice of the Adivasis here has been suppressed over the years.”

‘Action on Soren Justified, Next is Kejriwal’: BJP Leader

On the political situation in Jharkhand, BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav says, “ED (Enforcement Directorate) action on Hemant Soren is absolutely right. Next, is Kejriwal’s number.”

Day After Arrest, Visuals From Outside ED Office

‘Life is a Great Battle’: Hemant Soren, Jharkhand’s Youngest CM, Arrested by ED

“…Life is a great battle, I have fought every moment, I will fight every moment but I will not beg for compromise,” he shared on X a poem in Hindi, which roughly translates to this, soon after his arrest. Born on August 10, 1975, at Nemra village near Hazaribag, Hemant did his intermediate from Patna High School and later joined Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra in Ranchi, but dropped out.

Known for his love of badminton, bicycles and books, Hemant has two children with wife Kalpana. He debuted as a Rajya Sabha member in 2009. Next year, he resigned from the Upper House of Parliament to take up the post of deputy chief minister in the BJP-led Arjun Munda government.

Soren Went to Raj Bhavan To Submit Resignation

Soren went to the Raj Bhavan to tender his resignation accompanied by alliance legislators. The ED team also present there, officials said “Hemant Soren has resigned as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand. The ruling JMM-Congress-RJD alliance has proposed the name of senior JMM leader Champai Soren as the new CM,” state Congress president Rajesh Thakur said. “We have staked a claim to form the new government with the support of 47 MLAs,” JMM legislative party leader Champai Soren told reporters.

FIR Lodged Against ED Officials Over Raids

Earlier in the day, Soren lodged an FIR against ED personnel over searches conducted by the agency at his Delhi residence on Monday, officials said. Soren alleged that the ED conducted the search to “harass and malign him and his entire community”, the officials said, quoting the FIR.

Hemant Soren Moved Jharkhand HC, Reason Unknown

In a late-night development, Soren moved the Jharkhand High Court, party sources said. However, the reason why he moved court was not known. His petition will be heard by the bench of Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary at 10.30 am on Thursday. In the morning, legislators gathered at Hemant Soren’s residence elected the transport minister Champai Soren as the leader of the JMM legislative party with party spokesperson Vinod Pandey saying that a consensus was reached on his name.

Who is New Jharkhand CM Champai Soren

A legislator from the Serikela assembly constituency for more than three decades since 1991, Champai Soren is known to be a loyalist of JMM supremo Shibu Soren. Born in November 1956 at Jilinggora village in Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district, Champai Soren is a matriculate and father of seven children. He is the son of a farmer and is not related to the Hemant Soren’s family.

Soren Was ‘Evasive’ During Questioning, Say Sources

Sources claimed 48-year-old Hemant Soren was “evasive” in his replies during ED questioning and hence was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED is expected to produce Soren before a special PMLA court here and the agency will seek his remand for custodial interrogation, the sources said.

15 Questions Put Across To Soren

Sources said the agency put across 15 questions to Soren during the second round of questioning in the case. He was first quizzed on January 20. The JMM leader was shown the typed statements he recorded with the agency and before taking him in custody, his signatures were sought on these documents.

It was, however, not clear if he signed them. The allegations of money laundering against the JMM leader pertain to the alleged illegal possession of certain immovable assets apart from his purported links with members of the ‘land mafia’.

The questioning of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will start at around 1 pm today… The questioning will be done by the investigators of the investigating agency ED… Seeing the seriousness of this matter, Additional Director level officers working at the ED headquarters in Delhi themselves arrived. We are there to monitor and give proper guidelines in this matter… Chief Minister Hemant Soren will be interrogated today in the land deal scam case in Jharkhand.

(With inputs from agencies)