ED Continues Money Laundering Probe Against Hemant Soren

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made another arrest and conducted searches in Ranchi as part of the ongoing money laundering investigation involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and others. The arrested individual, identified as Afshar Ali, was already in judicial custody in another money laundering case and has now been taken into custody in connection with this case. Allegations against Ali include forgery related to land acquisition in Jharkhand, purportedly in collusion with the prime accused in the case against Soren and former Revenue Department Sub-Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad.

Soren, along with Prasad and another individual, Mohammed Saddam Hussian, had been previously arrested in this case. The investigation revolves around the alleged illegal acquisition of an 8.86-acre land in Ranchi by Soren. The ED has filed a charge sheet and attached the Ranchi land, seeking its confiscation. The probe originates from FIRs filed by the Jharkhand Police against various individuals, including government officials, in connection with land scam cases. The ED has accused Prasad, a custodian of government records, of facilitating illegal activities, including land occupation and possession of proceeds of crime.