The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren for questioning on August 14 in connection with a money laundering case.
On Monday, Soren had accused the BJP-led Centre of misusing federal agencies to disturb his government.
Sources in the ED's Ranchi office confirmed that the summons had been issued to Soren in a money laundering case.
In November last year, Soren was questioned by the ED for nearly 10 hours in a money laundering case linked to illegal mining. Soren’s political representative in his home Assembly constituency — Barhait in Jharkhand’s Sahebganj district — Pankaj Mishra has already been arrested by the ED in the case.
Since then, Soren has been making repeated statements before the media, accusing the central government of “misusing agencies like ED, IT and CBI to harass Opposition (non-BJP)-ruled states’ leaders”.
BJP state president Babulal Marandi put out a tweet around 6.15pm, saying Soren had been summoned in connection with the alleged expropriation of tribal land and money laundering.
The chief minister’s secretariat had not confirmed the receipt of the summons from the ED till the filing of this report.
On Monday, Soren had alleged that the BJP had been trying to topple the government either by threatening or enticing party MLAs or by using federal agencies.
