<p>The Jharkhand government on Tuesday gave its nod for preliminary enquiry (PE) against five former BJP ministers in the state for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.</p>.<p>The main objective of a PE is to ascertain the availability of substantial evidence, which will sustain a departmental enquiry or disciplinary proceedings or registration of regular cases as the case may be.</p>.<p>The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.</p>.<p>The BJP described the move as a “political stunt” and alleged that Soren himself faces charges of corruption.</p>.<p>Of the five, who were part of chief minister Raghubar Das’ cabinet between 2014 and 2019, four are members of the current assembly.</p>.<p>"Permission was granted by the cabinet to file preliminary enquiry against former ministers - Amar Kumar Bauri, Randhir Kumar Singh, Neera Yadav, Louis Marandi and Neelkanth Singh Munda - in disproportionate assets cases," a government spokesperson told reporters after the cabinet meeting.</p>.<p>The state government had earlier ordered the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate into alleged disproportionate assets of the five former ministers in the wake of a public interest litigation filed before the Jharkhand high court in 2020.</p>.<p>Soren in November last year had given a go-ahead to the ACB to register a preliminary enquiry into alleged disproportionate assets of the five BJP leaders. The ACB, however, had sought separate PE against each of the five former ministers following “confirmation” of the allegation after an initial investigation.</p>.<p>Reacting to the Cabinet nod for preliminary enquiry against former ministers, BJP state president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi said it is a "political stunt."</p>.<p>"The chief minister should set an example by getting the properties of his family investigated by the ACB. If the CM is so sensitive about corruption, he should get the investigation started from his home," Marandi said.</p>.<p>Soren was accused by the opposition of being involved in corruption as he had allotted a mining lease to himself and a plot of land to his wife.</p>.<p>One of the five former ministers, Randhir Kumar Singh, had earlier said the action is nothing but a political vendetta.</p>.<p>"Since the chief minister is facing corruption charges, he wants to malign the image of the BJP. I am not scared of any inquiry,” said Singh, the MLA of Sarath constituency and former agriculture minister.</p>
<p>The Jharkhand government on Tuesday gave its nod for preliminary enquiry (PE) against five former BJP ministers in the state for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.</p>.<p>The main objective of a PE is to ascertain the availability of substantial evidence, which will sustain a departmental enquiry or disciplinary proceedings or registration of regular cases as the case may be.</p>.<p>The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.</p>.<p>The BJP described the move as a “political stunt” and alleged that Soren himself faces charges of corruption.</p>.<p>Of the five, who were part of chief minister Raghubar Das’ cabinet between 2014 and 2019, four are members of the current assembly.</p>.<p>"Permission was granted by the cabinet to file preliminary enquiry against former ministers - Amar Kumar Bauri, Randhir Kumar Singh, Neera Yadav, Louis Marandi and Neelkanth Singh Munda - in disproportionate assets cases," a government spokesperson told reporters after the cabinet meeting.</p>.<p>The state government had earlier ordered the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate into alleged disproportionate assets of the five former ministers in the wake of a public interest litigation filed before the Jharkhand high court in 2020.</p>.<p>Soren in November last year had given a go-ahead to the ACB to register a preliminary enquiry into alleged disproportionate assets of the five BJP leaders. The ACB, however, had sought separate PE against each of the five former ministers following “confirmation” of the allegation after an initial investigation.</p>.<p>Reacting to the Cabinet nod for preliminary enquiry against former ministers, BJP state president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi said it is a "political stunt."</p>.<p>"The chief minister should set an example by getting the properties of his family investigated by the ACB. If the CM is so sensitive about corruption, he should get the investigation started from his home," Marandi said.</p>.<p>Soren was accused by the opposition of being involved in corruption as he had allotted a mining lease to himself and a plot of land to his wife.</p>.<p>One of the five former ministers, Randhir Kumar Singh, had earlier said the action is nothing but a political vendetta.</p>.<p>"Since the chief minister is facing corruption charges, he wants to malign the image of the BJP. I am not scared of any inquiry,” said Singh, the MLA of Sarath constituency and former agriculture minister.</p>