RANCHI – Hemant Soren, the chief minister of Jharkhand, has requested more time to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding a land grabbing issue, wherein 13 individuals, including an IAS officer, have been detained.
The ED had asked Soren to record his statement in the case on Monday. Earlier, the CM and his wife were interrogated for nearly 10 hours concerning an illegal mining case at the ED’s Ranchi office.
The case involves the alleged fraudulent sale of lands using records dating back to 1932, duping victims into believing their ancestors had already sold the properties.
The accused even falsely claimed control over lands leased to the army and created numerous counterfeit deeds.
An unexpected discovery was a checkbook found linked to Soren’s bank account, linking his name to the case.
Pankaj Mishra, his legislator representative, became a target for a raid on his home, leading to his arrest.
In a bizarre twist, the accused utilized pre-independence documents and forged papers from 1932 to claim ownership of both private and public lands, dating back to when West Bengal encompassed parts of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Forensic examination by the ED revealed all the papers were forgeries, even including references to non-existing districts and incorrect PIN codes.
The implications of this case stretch across Bihar and Kolkata, unearthing a historical scam that employed ancient documents to carry out fraudulent transactions.
The case continues to unfold, drawing attention to the levels of deception and the connections it may have within the political sphere of Jharkhand.
