The Enforcement Directorate’s Ranchi unit on Tuesday conducted searches at 12 locations in Jharkhand linked to Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav and his associates as part of a money laundering investigation against them, claimed official sources.

Houses of the five-time MLA representing the Poraiyahat Assembly seat were raided by the income tax department in November 2022 as part of a tax evasion probe against some business groups.

The money laundering investigation stems from this tax case, the ED sources added.

Searches were conducted at four locations in Ranchi and eight near Deoghar.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who is heading a JMM-Congress-RJD alliance government, had on several occasions accused the BJP-led central government of using federal agencies like the CBI, the IT and the ED on leaders of non-BJP ruled states including Jharkhand.