In a major turn of events in Jharkhand, Hemant Soren on Wednesday resigned as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand after a team of the Enforcement Directorate questioned him at his residence in Ranchi in a land scam case. Soren arrived at the Raj Bhavan at around 8.30 PM to meet Governor CP Radhakrishnan with ED officials and tendered his resignation.
The resignation paves the way for the appointment of Champai Soren, 68, a Shibu Soren loyalist and state Transport minister, as the new Chief Minister of the state. He was elected as the JMM legislature party leader by the MLAs amid uncertainty over the future of Hemant who is facing ED heat in cases of corruption.
Meanwhile, JMM leader and MP Mahua Maji claimed that Hemant has been taken into ED custody. “The CM is in ED custody. The CM has gone to the Governor with the ED team to submit his resignation… Champai Soren will be the new Chief Minister… We have enough numbers…,” she told reporters.
Hemant’s arrest comes after his repeated refusal to appear before the ED for questioning, defying summons issued by the agency in connection with its probe into an alleged money laundering case. Soren has been questioned thrice so far – first in November 2021 in the illegal mining case, and on January 20 and 31 in connection with the alleged proceeds of crime emanating from the illegal sale and purchase of land in Ranchi in which IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan is also an accused.
In a raid at his Delhi residence, the ED claimed to have recovered Rs 36 lakh cash and a BMW car. Soren has denied owning the car and said he does not own any illicit cash. An FIR has also been registered against ED officials over the January 29 raid under the provisions of the SC/ST Act on Soren’s complaint.