BJP claims Soren absconding; CM sends email to ED

The Jharkhand unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday claimed that Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been 'absconding' since the last 18 hours, fearing action of the Enforcement Directorate.

'According to media sources, late at night Hemant ji, wearing slippers and covering his face with a sheet, ran away from his Delhi residence on foot. Ajay Singh, the security personnel of special branch who went with him to Delhi, is also missing,' Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi said in a post on X

Urging Governor C P Radhakrishnan to take cognisance of the matter, Marandi said the credibility and reputation of Jharkhand are at stake.

'The mobile phones of both of them have also been switched off. Since then, the ED and Delhi Police are searching for them. There cannot be any other example of such gross negligence regarding the security of the chief minister,' the former CM said.

If there is truth in this news, then it is a situation of 'constitutional crisis' for Jharkhand, Marandi said.

'The governor is requested to take cognisance of the matter...,' he added.

An ED team on Monday visited the Delhi residence of Soren to question him in connection with a money laundering investigation in an alleged land fraud case.

The federal agency had questioned Soren at his official residence in Ranchi on January 20 in the case, and issued fresh summons to him asking him to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31.

Official sources claimed he was 'missing' and could not be contacted by the agency.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, who had left for Delhi from Ranchi on January 27 night, has sent an email to the agency in which he has agreed to a fresh round of questioning by the ED investigators on January 31 at his Ranchi residence around 1 pm, they said.

In the email, Soren charged the ED of being 'motivated by political agenda' to disrupt the state government's functioning and claimed that its insistence to record his statement again on or before January 31 reeked of malice.

He also alleged that the issuance of summons to him was 'wholly vexatious and in colourable exercise of powers given by the statute'.

'Preserve video recording of seven-hour questioning (of January 20) to make available to the Court of Law,' Soren said in the email sent on Sunday, while agreeing to record his statement on January 31 at 1 pm at his residence.

Meanwhile, the JMM said the ED's action against Soren is 'unconstitutional'.

"The CM went to Delhi for some personal work and he will be back. But, the ED action is uncalled for and unconstitutional. It seems that the move is politically motivated," alleged JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya.

"Soren has nothing to do with the case," he claimed.

While the chief minister's office was tightlipped on the development, Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan said he was keeping a watch on the situation in the state in the wake of the ED summons to Soren.

Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur alleged that confusion was being created surrounding Sorens's location under a 'well-designed conspiracy'.

"Attempts are being made to create a perception that President's rule will be imposed in the state. People are spreading rumours that the CM is missing," Thakur said.

The Congress is a part of the JMM-led ruling alliance in Jharkhand.

"Is the ED really not able to trace the CM? This is nothing but a conspiracy to disturb the state government so that it could be prevented from carrying out welfare work," he asserted.

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Not being at home doesn't mean fleeing: Soren family member

As speculation was doing the rounds about Soren's whereabouts, a family member of his termed the narratives 'designed' to delegitimise the JMM leader's position.

The family member, who did not wish his identity to be revealed, told PTI that a false narrative was being set despite repeated communication to ED and compliance to the summons including willingness to 'record his statement on January 31, 2024 at 1 pm at his residence'.

"It is a political vendetta. Not being in the house is not equivalent to fleeing. If a person is not in his residence, he can be anywhere. This is not a warrant that he has to be available. He is in Delhi and will reach Ranchi tonight or on Tuesday," the family member told PTI.

"In spite of sending repeated communications and compliance to the summons on his (CM) side, they are acting in haste. It is designed to malign his image and build a media narrative that is being played to delegitimise his position," the family member said.

The person said Soren is well and doing fine and was throughout in Delhi busy with his own work.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened in key government installations here, including the CM House, Raj Bhavan and central government offices, when the ED team reached the residence of Soren in Delhi.

The investigation pertains to a 'huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia' in Jharkhand, according to the agency.

Soren travelled to the national capital on Saturday night, triggering speculations.

His trip to Delhi came in the backdrop of the ED asking him whether he would be available for questioning on either January 29 or January 31.

Soren's party JMM has been staging protests against ED summons to Soren.