Hemant Soren In Jail, Wife Posts Wedding Anniversary Message

Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana put out a heartfelt note this morning to mark their 18th wedding anniversary. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader, she said, was not with his family on this special day. She added that they believe that he will soon defeat this "conspiracy" and return home.

The former Jharkhand Chief Minister is in jail for the past one week after the Enforcement Directorate arrested him in connection with a money laundering case.

"Hemant ji did not bow down because he wanted to protect Jharkhand's identity. He preferred to fight this conspiracy and dedicated himself to this cause," she posted through Mr Soren's X profile.

"Today is our 18th wedding anniversary, but Hemant ji is not with his family, with his children. We believe that he will defeat this conspiracy and be with us soon," she added.

"I am the life-partner of a brave Jharkhand warrior. I won't be emotional today. Like Hemant ji, I will smile in difficult circumstances and become his strength," Ms Murmu Soren added.

Hemant Soren is being investigated in connection with an alleged racket of illegal change of land ownership by mafia in Jharkhand.

He has denied the allegation against him, accusing the BJP of abusing central probe agencies to destabilise a democratically elected government.

Just before his arrest, Hemant Soren resigned as Chief Minister. His close aide and senior JMM leader Champai Soren has now replaced him as Chief Minister. The new government cleared the floor test comfortably on Monday.

In fact, before Champai Soren was chosen as the JMM legislative party leader, there was a buzz that Hemant Soren may pass the baton to wife Kalpana. But this idea was shot down following resistance within the party, including the Soren family.

Sita Soren, MLA and Hemant Soren's sister-in-law, had questioned why Kalpana, who is not a legislator and has no political experience, was being considered for the top post.