Hemant Soren case: ED summons Congress MP from Jharkhand Dhiraj Prasad Sahu for questioning

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand Dhiraj Prasad Sahu for questioning in a money laundering case. Former chief minister Hemant Soren was recently arrested in the same case. 

Sahu, aged 64, came under the ED’s lens when the Income-Tax department seized Rs 351.8 crore cash in December, the highest ever, during its raids against Boudh Distillery Pvt. Ltd. (BDPL), an Odisha-based company promoted by the Congress legislator's family.

The Member of Parliament (MP) has reportedly been asked to appear at the ED office in Ranchi on February 10. A response from Sahu, regarding this matter, is still awaited. The ED is said to be interested in interrogating Sahu and recording his statement about his supposed connections with Soren and a BMW SUV, which was confiscated by the agency from the JMM leader's residence in Delhi during a raid last month. 

The ED sources revealed that the keys of the SUV were found in the Jharkhand government leased residence in South Delhi. The vehicle was taken to the ED headquarters in Delhi after the completion of the raid.

The ED conducted a search on a premise in Gurugram’s Kadarpur village on Wednesday. The Haryana-registered SUV, suspected to be allegedly linked to Sahu in a 'benami' manner, is said to have been registered at this address, according to sources. 

In the same case, two locations in Kolkata were also raided on Wednesday. 

The ED has summoned several individuals connected to the case for interrogation and for confrontation with Soren and another accused, Bhanu Pratap Prasad. Prasad is a former sub-inspector for the revenue department of the Jharkhand government.

The 48-year-old Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 on money laundering charges in an alleged illegal land acquisition and possession case. Soren resigned as the Jharkhand CM before he was formally arrested that day. He is in the ED custody at present.

(With PTI inputs)

Also read: Hemant Soren says Jharkhand Governor involved in his arrest; challenges ED to prove charges