Evaluating EC’s letter on office-of-profit case against CM: Jharkhand Governor

Ranchi: Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Monday said the Raj Bhavan is evaluating the Election Commission’s recommendation in an office-of-profit case against Chief Minister Hemant Soren over the extension of a mining lease to him.

The governor also said that persons, who have done wrong and have been found guilty, will have to face consequences.

The Election Commission had, in August last year, sent its opinion to the Raj Bhavan on a plea seeking that Soren be disqualified as an MLA for violating electoral norms by extending a mining lease to himself.

Replying to a query on the EC’s recommendation, during a programme at Raj Bhavan, Radhakrishnan said, “There are certain difficulties. We have to go through that and we will." The governor also said, "I am repeatedly telling you those who have done something wrong and have been found guilty will have to face the consequences. We are looking forward to a clean public life." Though the EC's decision has not yet been made official, there has been a buzz that the poll panel had recommended the chief minister's disqualification as an MLA in connection with the mining lease.

Asked about the cash seizure during searches by the income tax department on premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu, the governor said, “When ED (Enforcement Directorate) and I-T (Income Tax) take any action, they are not against any particular party or party's office bearer.” These agencies have been taking action against those who are accused in corruption cases, he said.

The income-tax department continued its searches in different places linked to an Odisha-based distillery group on charges of tax evasion for the sixth consecutive day on Monday after recovering unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 353 crore, the "highest-ever" haul in a single action by any probe agency in the country, officials said.

During the day, officials of the income tax department reached the Sudapada unit of the Boudh Distilleries, owned by the Congress MP's family, in Boudh district in Odisha where the central agency started its search operations on December 6.