Jharkhand HC grants bail to former CM Hemant Soren in land scam case

The former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in January over a land scam case in Ranchi

The Jharkhand High Court on Friday (June 28) granted bail to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a land scam case.

Soren was taken into custody on January 31, shortly after he stepped down as Chief Minister, appointing Champai Soren, a party loyalist and state transport minister, as his successor. On May 20, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed Soren’s bail, arguing that he was actively trying to obstruct the investigation into the money laundering case against him by “misusing state machinery.”

On May 3, the Jharkhand High Court had dismissed Soren’s petition challenging his arrest by the central agency, following a two-month deliberation after reserving its verdict on February 28.

Why was Soren arrested?

The ED has been probing various cases in Jharkhand, including illegal mining, a 2009 MGNREGA scam, and the alleged illegal sale and purchase of an Army plot in Ranchi. During the Army land investigation, the name of Bhanu Pratap Prasad, then revenue sub-inspector of Bargaain Circle Office, surfaced and was eventually linked to Soren.

According to the ED, Prasad was part of a network involved in illegally acquiring properties through force and falsifying government records. Prasad was allegedly the custodian of several original registers, known as Panji 2, in which land records, especially ownership details, were falsified.

During searches on April 13, 2023, the ED reported seizing 11 trunks of property documents and 17 Panji 2 registers from Prasad. This information was shared with the then Chief Secretary of State, leading to an FIR being registered on June 1 of the previous year. This FIR led to the registration of the ECIR—ED’s equivalent of an FIR—in which Soren was arrested.

What are the allegations against Soren?

The ED alleges that Soren was among those who conspired with Bhanu Pratap to take over properties. The agency claims that details of the illegally acquired properties were found on Bhanu Pratap’s mobile phone. While Prasad was in custody, his phone’s data revealed several chats related to cash transactions and illegal benefits to others in acquiring land.

Responding to the ED summons, Hemant Soren stated in a letter that the 8.5 acres had been “wrongfully alleged to be owned” by him, asserting that the plot was actually ‘Bhuinhari’ land, which, under the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, cannot be transferred to anyone.

In his plea, Hemant Soren suggested a pattern in the ED's actions, claiming that the agency is targeting opposition political leaders with "fabricated allegations."