Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Arrested

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Hemant Soren minutes after he tendered his resignation from the Jharkhand Chief Minister post at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Wednesday evening. According to sources, the ED would produce Hemant in court on Thursday and would seek his custody. Hemant Soren filed a writ petition in Jharkhand HC against ED summons and the case will be taken up at 10:30 am tomorrow.

Earlier this evening, Hemant resigned as Jharkhand Chief Minister after being questioned by the ED for over seven hours in connection with the alleged land scam. Hemant Soren submitted his resignation from the Jharkhand CM’s post to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhawan. Jharkhand governor tweeted that Hemant Soren’s resignation from CM’s post has been accepted.

He was questioned as part of a probe into a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand, according to the probe agency. Jharkhand minister and ruling JMM’s Chief Minister Champai Soren has presented the claim to the Governor to form a new government with the support of 43 MLAs. Earlier on Wednesday, Hemant Soren filed a police complaint against Enforcement Directorate officials, seeking action under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.