"Refer To Documents": Hemant Soren To Probe Agency Over Summons

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday responded to the summon issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Chief Minister confronted the federal agency asking it to withdraw the summon against him or else he will take legal action. 

In his letter, Mr Soren said that he has provided all necessary documents and information.

If the ED needs any information, it can refer to the documents, he mentioned in his letter. 

He has also alleged that the ED has summoned him on August 14, on the instructions of its political masters.

"Your choice of the date of 14th August does not come as a surprise to the undersigned (Hemant Soren). You and your political masters are fully aware that being the Chief Minister of the state of Jharkhand, the undersigned is scheduled to hoist the national flag on the occasion of the 77th independence day of the Republic of India on 15th August 2023," Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote in his letter.

"Preparations for the Independence Day function start from a week before and 14th August is an important day for the same when many meetings are pre-scheduled. The caption summons requiring the undersigned to appear before you on 14 August 2023, is deliberate and part of the design to besmirch the reputation not only of the undersigned but also the democratically elected government of the state of Jharkhand and the people of the state of Jharkhand," he explained in his letter.

Going further with the allegations, he said that central agencies are targeting him because he is not aligning with the central government.

"In fact, the central agencies have been targeting the undersigned for over a year now only because the undersigned is not aligned with the political party which is in power at the centre," the Jharkhand Chief Minister claimed in his letter.

"The Enforcement Directorate first sought to link the undersigned with the alleged illegal mining of stone chips in Jharkhand and you had previously summoned the undersigned in this regard on 17th November 2022," Hemant Soren said.

"As required by you, the undersigned has duly provided details of all movable and immovable properties owned by him and his family members along with certified copies of the title deeds thereof under cover of his letter dated 30th November 2022," he added.

"As you seem to require same and similar details from the undersigned by the captioned summons, it appears that the letter dated 30 November 2022 has been lost or misplaced at your office and the undersigned will be happy to furnish you a copy thereof, if solicited again," the Jharkhand Chief Minister wrote.

The chief minister has also mentioned that he has provided the details of his movable and immovable assets to CBI in an enquiry directed by Lokpal against his father Shibu Soren in 2020. ED may obtain the details from CBI.

Towards the end of the letter Hemant Soren said, "The undersigned therefore calls upon you to forthwith withdraw the captioned summons falling which, the undersigned shall be constrained to seek legal remedies."

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