SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, December 30: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has set a week’s deadline for Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to reply to its questions about the land scam in Ranchi.
In the seventh and last summons issued on December 29, the ED explained why the agency wanted him to interrogate him.
Reason for summons
In its letter, the ED specified that it wants to record the CM’s response to the documents seized from Ranchi district Revenue Sub-Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad and his properties. The agency has lodged a case in this regard for tampering and falsification of government records.
CM’s query after the sixth summons
In response to the sixth summons, Soren had asked the agency to let him know in what capacity he was summoned. He had also said that he had already submitted details of his properties to the ED.
Section 50 of the PMLA Act
The ED, in its letter, has said that it was giving him the last opportunity to record his statement under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, at the place, date and time mutually convenient to him as well as the ED officer, which should be within seven days of receipt of this notice/Summons.
Section 50 empowers the ED to summon any person during any investigation or proceedings under the PMLA.
CM’s role in case not specified
The agency has not specified in what capacity Soren was being summoned. “Why should it tell any person beforehand as in what capacity (witness or accused) he was being summoned? A person’s criminality will be decided based on the statement given by the person concerned,” pointed out an ED official.
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The ED has also made it clear that the letter was equivalent to a summon and further asked the CM to specify the place, date and time within two days of receipt of this letter.
In its letter, the ED clarified that failure to comply would lead to the presumption that he was intentionally evading the investigation and willfully disobeying summonses.
Notably, the ED issued summons to CM on six occasions, namely August 14, August 24, September 9, September 23, October 4 and October 12, necessitating his presence before the ED to record his statement so that the ED could obtain details regarding the properties under his possession.
