Prohibitory Orders In Ranchi As Probe Agency Searches Hemant Soren's Home

Prohibitory orders were imposed Tuesday in key areas of Ranchi in the wake of the political situation arising out of the Enforcement Directorate's search at the Delhi residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, officials said.

The federal agency searched the 5/1 Shanti Niketan residence of the JMM leader in south Delhi on Monday, and camped there for almost 13 hours in order to question him in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land deal in Jharkhand.

The ED has seized Rs 36 lakh, an SUV and some "incriminating" documents from Soren's Delhi house, they said.

"We have promulgated prohibitory orders (under Section 144 of the CrPC) from 10 am to 10 pm within a radius of 100 metres at CM House, the Raj Bhavan and ED office at Doranda," Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Ranchi) Utkarsh Kumar told PTI.

As part of the restrictions, demonstrations, rallies or meetings cannot be held in and around these areas.

"We have ensured that the law and order situation here is controlled. We have beefed up security in the state capital at these key installations in order to avoid assembly of people," Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Avinash Kumar told PTI.

Soren, 48, who is also the executive president of the ruling JMM, had left for the national capital on January 27 night, while scheduled government events in the state stood cancelled without any explanation.

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