Is Hemant Soren really absconding to avoid arrest by ED?

New Delhi: While sources in the Enforcement Directorate claimed that the Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren was "missing" and could not be contacted by the federal agency when it reached his South Delhi residence on Monday, a family member alleged that a "false" narrative was being set to "delegitimise" the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader's position.

The ED questioned Soren at his official residence in Ranchi on January 20 in connection with a money laundering investigation and issued a fresh summons to him asking him to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31. 

The ED sources accepted that Soren had sent a communication to the agency but added that he had not confirmed the date and time for questioning.

The email written by Soren on Sunday to ED, as quoted by the federal agency sources, read that the ED actions were "motivated by political agenda" to disrupt the state government's functioning.

Soren claimed that its insistence to record his statement again on or before January 31 reeked of malice.

"Preserve video recording of seven-hour questioning (of January 20) to make available to the court of law," Soren said in the email while agreeing to record his statement on January 31 at the Ranchi residence.

Going by this, it appears that Soren indeed agreed to the date and location of his availability for questioning.

However, it is not clear what made the federal agency visit his Delhi residence after it came to know that he landed in Delhi on Jan 27.

Officials of the federal probe agency accompanied by Delhi Police personnel reached the 5/1 Shanti Niketan building in South Delhi around 9 am, while a large number of mediapersons stood outside.

Several ED officials were seen leaving the premises at around 10.30 pm.

The agency seized a Haryana-registered BMW car from Soren's residence apart from some documents recovered by them during the search conducted at the house, sources said.

JMM leaders accused ED wanted to arrest the CM which could have been easy in Delhi in comparison to Ranchi.

Political analysts told NewsDrum that if Soren knew that his arrest was imminent, he would do it as per his plan and convenience and it could be safe to say that he was absconding until he reached Ranchi.

The investigation pertains to a "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand, according to the agency.

The ED has, so far, arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state's Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.