Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemata Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with its probe into an alleged land scam. The arrest was made soon after Soren stepped down as Jharkhand’s chief minister. The JMM leader was “evasive” in his replies during his questioning and hence was taken into custody under the PMLA, reported PTI quoting sources.

The ED is expected to produce Soren before a special PMLA court in Ranchi and the agency will seek his remand for custodial interrogation, according to the report. The central probe agency has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state’s Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

What we know about alleged land scam?

Soren finds himself embroiled in a complex web of alleged land scams. The case against Soren revolves around his purported involvement in an extensive land scam in Jharkhand, where he is alleged to be the key beneficiary of illicitly obtained land through fraudulent means, according to the ED.

The agency’s investigation points to a sophisticated operation involving a network of brokers and businessmen who manipulated land records to create fake deeds – legal documents that transfer ownership of land or real estate from one party to another – for valuable parcels of land.

These falsified documents were then used to sell off the land to various individuals and companies, leading to substantial financial gains for the perpetrators.

A key figure in this scheme is Kolkata-based businessman Amit Kumar Agarwal, who was arrested by the ED last year. Agarwal is suspected of having handled tainted funds for several politicians, including Soren, as alleged in a PIL filed in the Jharkhand high court.

The ED’s investigation has revealed a pattern of illegal transactions and land acquisitions, implicating Soren as a key player in the alleged scam.

The ED has filed a charge sheet detailing the fraudulent acquisition of prime land parcels, including defence land, valued at over ₹74 crore in current market prices. The modus operandi involved manufacturing back-dated deeds, falsifying records, and using fake stamps and seals to create the appearance of legitimate transactions.

One example highlighted in the charge sheet is the sale of a 4.55-acre defence land in Ranchi, which was allegedly acquired through a fake deed prepared by one Afshar Ali and his accomplices. The land was then sold to Jagatbandhu Tea Estates Pvt Ltd, a company owned by Amit Agarwal, at a fraction of its actual value.

Similarly, another parcel of land in Hehal was fraudulently acquired, with original deeds being tampered with and sold off to unsuspecting buyers. Chhavi Ranjan, a former deputy commissioner of Ranchi, is implicated in facilitating these illegal transactions by influencing officials and facilitating the mutation of land records.

The charge sheet also mentions instances where multiple individuals laid claim to the same property using falsified documents, further highlighting the extent of the alleged fraud.

While the specific role of Hemant Soren in these transactions is yet to be fully disclosed by the ED, his arrest underscores the gravity of the allegations against him.