Senior advocate Kapil Sibal who represented former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in the Supreme Court following his arrest on January 31 said now the ED will ‘create’ evidence against Hemant. And the arrest of Bhanu Pratap Prasad, a sub-inspector of the Jharkhand revenue department, was a step towards that. Bhanu Pratap was arrested on Saturday. Kapil Sibal said ED will take Bhanu Pratap in remand on February 5 and then make him give a statement against Hemant Soren. “Bhanu Pratap is already a criminal but ED will make him corroborate against Hemant. They could have arrested Bhanu Pratap earlier, but they are working to destabilise the government in every state where the CM is an opposition leader,” Kapil Sibal said.

Hemant Soren allowed to take part in floor test, lawyer says ED cat out of bag

Bhanu Pratap Prasad was already in jail in a different land scam but now ED has arrested him in connection with Hemant Soren case. According to the agency, Bhanu Pratap was Hemant Soren’s trusted aide in land deals.

Jharkhand floor test, Hemant Soren to attend: 10 points

1. In a massive upheaval in Jharkhand politics, chief minister Hemant Soren was arrested on January 31 after hours of ED interrogation. He resigned before ED took him into the custody and Champai Soren’s name was announced as the next chief minister.

2. Champai Soren will prove his majority in the Assembly on February 5. In an 81-member Assembly, Champai Soren has the support of 42 members.

3. The Congress took the responsibility of safeguarding the JMM-alliance MLAs from any attempts of poaching by the BJP. All coalition MLAs were stowed away at a Hyderabad resort for the weekend. On Sunday evening, they started to move out of Hyderabad and will reach Ranchi tonight.

4. Hemant Soren will also be present at the Assembly as the floor test begins as a court has allowed him to take part in the process.

5. Bhanu Prasad Pratap was arrested on Saturday and Kapil Sibal said this arrest was only to create evidence against Hemant Soren.

6. The Supreme Court refused to hear the case against the ED and asked Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi to approach the high court.

7. Hemant Soren’s lawyer Kapil Sibal said it must be clarified by the Supreme Court which cases should come to it and which can’t

8. “Now, what will happen is that 10 more cases will be slapped on Hemant Soren while in custody. All of them made-up cases. They will make sure Hemant Soren does not come out of jail soon and can’t campaign for Lok Sabha. BJP will benefit from his absence,” Kapil Sibal said.

9. Sibal said his client Hemant Soren does not even know Bhanu Pratap Prasad while ED said chats from Bhanu Pratap’s phone indicate the Hemant Soren received illicit benefits from land acquisition.

10. Bhanu Pratap verified some parcels of lands which were illegally acquired by Hemant Soren, ED said.