ED raids Jharkhand CM’s Press Advisor, others

     Ranchi, January 03, 2024: ED today raided the premises of a close confidant of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and a district collector in the illegal mining case.

     The sleuths from the Enforcement Directorate have raided the premises of Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu early morning today.

     Pintu is a close confidant and Press Advisor of Chief Minister Soren.

     The Central agency is in about a dozen locations in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal on allegation of violation of various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), media reports said.

     The premises of Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu, collector and senior police officers of Sahibganj district, an ex-MLA, some jail department officials and a police constable are being searched in the backdrop of a Rs 1000 crore illegal mining and other allegations, according media reports.

     Meanwhile,  MLAs of the ruling JMM-led coalition are meeting today to discuss the current political situation, to chalk out a strategy especially after ED’s summons to Soren and raids in various places, sources said.

     Political speculation are in circulation that Soren would make his wife the next Chief Minister in case of a major action by the ED, as seventh summons was issued to him last month.     He had skipped six earlier summonses by the ED, accusing the Modi government of using central agencies to destabilise his democratically elected government.