ED Exposes ₹600 Crore Land Scandal Involving Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 5th April. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered a sprawling network of corruption and manipulation in a ₹600 crore land scam, implicating former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and several government officials. The chargesheet filed by the ED names Hemant Soren, revenue officer Bhanu Pratap Prasad, and two other government employees as accused in the case.

According to the chargesheet accessed by NDTV, Hemant Soren stands accused of being part of the ‘land mafia’, allegedly benefiting from illegal land ownership changes orchestrated by a syndicate in Jharkhand. Documents and statements presented in the case allegedly confirm Soren’s involvement in the illicit activities.

During the investigation, officials discovered a 44-page file in the office of Bhanu Pratap Prasad, containing crucial information regarding an 8.86-acre land allegedly owned by Hemant Soren. The chargesheet alleges that Pratap referred to Soren as his ‘boss’, indicating a close relationship between the two.

The Enforcement Directorate claims that Hemant Soren illegally occupied the 8.86-acre land in Ranchi’s Bargain area since 2011, with the property now valued at ₹31 crores. Soren’s close aides, Ranjit Singh, Hilarius Kachhap, and Rajkumar, are implicated in the alleged land grab.

ED alleges that Bhanu Pratap was part of a syndicate altering government land documents to facilitate land grabs, involving multiple government officials, including Hemant Soren. Photos of surveys conducted on the property implicate Pratap among the accused.

Furthermore, statements from witnesses and seized documents suggest financial transactions involving Bhanu Pratap. The agency has seized properties worth ₹256 crores illegally acquired by the syndicate.

Hemant Soren, who resigned as Chief Minister before his arrest, denies the allegations and accuses the BJP of politicizing the investigation to destabilize democratically elected governments. So far, 16 individuals, including Soren and former Ranchi DC Chhavi Ranjan, have been arrested in connection with the case.