A day after Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at about 18 locations against the political representative of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and other persons linked to him, the search team on Saturday revealed to have seized ₹5.32 crore in cash and some incriminating documents from them.
The ED had conducted a search at three places of Mr. Soren’s political aide Pankaj Mishra: Sahibganj, Barhait and Rajmahal pertaining to alleged irregularities in awarding toll plaza tenders in the State.
The search team has seized ₹5.32 crore in cash from the premises of a person and some incriminating documents from multiple locations in Jharkhand and neighbouring State, Bihar as well, said ED officials while adding that raids at a few locations are still continuing.
Earlier on July 8, the ED team had conducted raids at multiple locations of Mr. Mishra and other persons acquainted with him and Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Mr. Mishra is the political representative of CM Hemant Soren from his home constituency Barhait. Apart from three locations Sahibganj, Barhait and Rajmahal, the raid was also conducted in Bhagalpur district of Bihar.
The locations are being searched and action is being undertaken under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said officials on July 8. The money laundering case, added officials, stems from a Jharkhand police FIR which was taken over by ED. The ED is also looking at links between alleged coal mining operatives in the State and those involved in toll plaza tenders.
This case, however, originates from a complaint made in June 2020 by a toll tax contractor with the Badharwa police station in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand. But, this has been a separate case from the coal mining case, the official said.
Earlier in May 2022, ED had conducted raids and registered a case against suspended Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal allegedly in a coal mining scam. Ms. Singhal was later arrested and sent to judicial custody.
