West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday condemned the arrest of ex-Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate. She called it a “vindictive act by BJP-backed central agencies’’.
“I strongly condemn the unjust arrest of Shri Hemant Soren, a powerful tribal leader. The vindictive act by BJP-backed central agencies reeks of a planned conspiracy to undermine a popularly elected government,” wrote the Trinamool Congress supremo in a post on her official X handle.
The Resilient People Of Jharkhand Will….Emerge Victorious In This Crucial Battle :Mamata Banerjee
“He is a close friend of mine, and I vow to stand unwaveringly by his side, dedicated to protecting democracy in these trying times. The resilient people of Jharkhand will deliver a resounding response and emerge victorious in this crucial battle!” she added in her post.
Hemant Soren, 48, has been sent to five-day ED custody after being arrested by the federal agency over his alleged role in a land scam case. He challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court, but the apex court refused to intervene suggesting that the chief minister move the high court.
The Supreme Court also declined to set down a deadline for the Jharkhand high court to hear and decide his petition that seeks Soren’s arrest be declared unconstitutional.
The Enforcement Directorate has accused Soren of involvement in a land scam in his state Jharkhand. He is alleged to have been a key beneficiary of illegally-obtained land. Allegedly, Soren used fraudulent means to amass huge tracts of land exploiting his position as chief minister.
The agency has been investigating a complex trail involving a network of brokers and businessmen who allegedly manipulated land records to create fake deeds for valuable parcels of land.
Cash, Documents, Land Acquired By Fraudulent Means: Enforcement Directorate
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate stated it had recovered cash worth in excess of ₹36 lakh from the possession of the JMM supremo. Documents linked to the ongoing investigation into the alleged acquisition of land by ‘fraudulent means’ were also recovered from his possession.
The federal agency has stated that land parcels spanning 8.5 acres were part of the criminal proceeds that the former CM allegedly acquired.
Bengali