Enforcement Directorate Challenges FIR Filed by Hemant Soren in Jharkhand High Court

Ranchi : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken legal action by moving the Jharkhand High Court to contest the First Information Report (FIR) lodged against its officials. This move comes in response to a complaint filed by former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, accusing the probe agency of "harassment" and leveling charges of "maligning" his entire community.

Hemant Soren submitted the complaint on Wednesday, alleging that ED officials attempted to 'harass' and 'malign' him and his community. The former Chief Minister was taken into custody by the ED on the same day after an extensive seven-hour interrogation related to an alleged money laundering case.

Facing queries from the probe agency in connection with the money laundering allegations, Hemant Soren's arrest led to the appointment of senior JMM leader Champai Soren as the new Chief Minister on Friday afternoon. Officials disclosed, "The ED has formally challenged the FIR registered against its officials by former CM Hemant Soren under the SC/ST Act, and the petition was submitted on February 3rd."

The complaint was lodged at the SC ST police station in Ranchi. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha holds 29 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, with support from allies such as the Congress, RJD, and CPI (ML), totaling 43 MLAs. This INDIA bloc ensures sufficient numbers to pass the floor test.

Simultaneously, the two-day Assembly session commences today, during which the Champai Soren-led coalition government will seek a vote of confidence. To maintain order and prevent untoward incidents, the Ranchi district administration has implemented Section 144 of the CrPC within a 100-meter radius of the assembly building. The restrictions will be enforced from 8:00 am on Monday until 10:00 pm on Tuesday, as specified in the official order. These stringent measures aim to secure the smooth conduct of the special session in the new Jharkhand Legislative Assembly building.

—Input from Agencies