Hemant Soren arrested by ED in money laundering case

Champai Soren will be the Jharkhand Chief Minister in place of Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced on Wednesday.

New Delhi: JMM top leader Hemant Soren was on Wednesday night arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, after he resigned as Jharkhand Chief Minister and chose his father’s close aide and minister Champai Soren as his successor.

Soren drove to the Raj Bhavan with ED officials accompanying him after over seven hours of questioning to tender his resignation, capping days of high drama which also saw the 48-year-old leader taking a long drive from Delhi to Ranchi to avoid the keen eyes of investigators two days ago.

Soren's 'X' handle had a post late night which read, "it's a break, life is a great battle. I have fought every moment, I will fight every moment. But I will not beg for compromise. What is in it in defeat, what is in it in victory, I am not afraid at all. Pettiness does not touch me now...The pain of the hearts of our people...I will not give up in vain, I will not accept defeat. Jai Jharkhand!"

Sources said Soren had asked the ED to allow him to resign first before his arrest was recorded and the investigators agreed to it. Governor CP Radhakrishnan accepted the resignation.

Champai told reporters in Ranchi that they have staked the claim to form the new government and have support of 47 MLAs.

The arrest, though expected, came as a blow to the Opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc, which lost the government in Bihar where JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar switched sides to the NDA. Soren’s arrest came after an investigation into a “huge racket of illegal change of land ownership by the mafia” in Jharkhand.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge posted on ‘X’, “the one who did not go with Modi-ji will go to jail. Imposing ED against… Hemant Soren and forcing him to resign is a blow to federalism. Intimidating opposition leaders by using draconian PMLA is part of the BJP's tool kit.”

Anticipating his arrest, the JMM had put in place a plan for a smooth transition of power though attempts to make Soren’s wife Kalpana his successor faced a roadblock from within the family, prompting the party to lean on Champai.

All the ruling alliance legislators were camping at Soren’s official residence and when the arrest became imminent, they held a meeting and chose Champai as the legislature party leader.

Before this, hectic parleys took place as Shibu Soren’s daughter in law Sita Soren and nephew Basant Soren objected to the elevation of Kalpana. Earlier, the MLAs were made to sign two documents – one for Kalpana and another in support of Champai – but in the end, the veteran made the cut.

“I would like to ask why only Kalpana Soren, who is not even an MLA and has no political experience. Under what circumstances her (Kalpana's) name is being touted as the next chief minister when there are so many senior leaders in the party,” Sita, widow of Hemant’s elder brother Durga who did not attend Wednesday's meeting, was quoted by PTI as saying.

Once the arrest was becoming imminent, JMM MLAs sought time from Governor CP Radhakrishnan and went to the Raj Bhavan but were not allowed a meeting initially and they were given an appointment for later. Meanwhile, Soren drove into the Raj Bhavan after waving at people assembled near his residence.

The day witnessed intense drama, with Soren lodging an FIR against senior ED personnel at the SC/ST police station on Ranchi over searches conducted by the agency at his residence in Delhi on January 29.

Prohibitory orders were also clamped in Ranchi from 9 am within a radius of 100 metres at key locations, including the CM House, Raj Bhavan and the ED office in Ranchi.

A large number of supporters holding banners and posters and displaying bows and arrows gathered near his residence as the ED questioned him.