The ED on Wednesday produced WhatsApp chat records between former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and a close associate where information related to transfer and posting of state government officials involving "huge amount of money" is alleged to have been discussed.
The Enforcement Directorate made the submission before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi while producing the 48-year-old JMM leader on the expiry of his five-day remand. After the ED informed the court of Special Judge Dinesh Rai that its investigation against Soren was "not restricted" to alleged fraudulent acquisition of a 8.5 acres land in Ranchi by him, but there are "several other properties linked to him (Soren)", the court extended his custody by five days.
Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 from the Raj Bhavan after about seven hours of his questioning at his official residence at Kanke Road here. He resigned as the CM before the agency took him under custody. The ED told the court that during the time Soren was in its custody, "details of several other properties have also emerged, to which the accused person Shri Hemant Soren is neither divulging true information in his knowledge nor showing cooperation".
The federal agency said it was also undertaking raids in this case on Wednesday and it wanted to confront Soren with Bhanu Pratap Prasad, a revenue department sub- inspector, whom it has arrested in this case for allegedly conspiring with the former CM for allegedly acquiring 12 plots of land measuring about 8.5 acres. It informed the court that Soren was confronted with WhatsApp chats between him and his close associate Binod Singh which it claimed were "highly incriminating and contain details of several properties and had several confidential documents".
These chats "not only include exchange of confidential information regarding several properties but other incriminating information relating to transfer and posting, sharing of government records, etc., out of which huge amount of money appears to have been generated and transacted". The agency claimed that Binod Singh also had WhatsApp chats with several other persons regarding transfer and posting of officials and sharing of several admit cards of students appearing for competitive exams held by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission.
While appending some pictures of the WhatsApp exchanges between Soren and Binod Singh, the ED said these were only "a few samples" and such conversations run in over 530 pages. The ED said it requested the politician to produce the mobile phone on which he had conversations with Binod Singh but he "deliberately" did not furnish the device to "conceal facts and stall investigation relating to suspected proceeds of crime".
"The proceeds of crime acquired by him is not only restricted to the investigation of the property measuring 8.5 acres but there are several other properties linked to him (Soren) and investigation to identify the said proceeds of crime and its trail of money is essentially required at this stage," the agency said. The ED, seeking further remand of Soren, told the court that Soren undertook "blatant misuse of power in hampering and frustrating the evidences" linked to the 8.5 acre measuring immovable asset.
The agency said it issued the first summons to Soren for questioning on August 8, 2023 and called him for recording of his statement six days later on August 14. It claimed that a man identified as Raj Kumar Pahan filed a petition before the circle officer of Baragai in Ranchi on August 16 saying some people have got illegal 'jamabandi' (documents of legal rights) of his land and requested the authorities to save his land.
The land was resorted to Pahan on January 29 this year even as the agency said it was conducting raids in this case in Delhi that day, the ED said. It was alleged by the agency before the court that it seized documents related to this 8.5 acre land from the cupboard of Soren's room that is located in a Delhi house.
The agency also said that when it conducted the survey of this land in April last year, it met a 'chowkidar' (caretaker) posted at the property named Santosh Munda who told its officials that Soren and his wife Kalpana visited the property "two-three times". It is evident, the ED said, Soren "acquired proceeds of crime and also indulged in corrupt practice and misuse of position for destruction of evidence in order to conceal the proceeds of crime acquired by him to keep himself away from the property measuring 8.5 acres".
The agency also told the court that as Soren was taken to the Jharkhand assembly on February 5 and therefore a "substantial time passed out in arrangements and bringing him back to its office for investigation". The ED sought Soren's enhanced custody to "ascertain the source of funds" through which the said land was acquired and to confront him and other accused.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
