• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Thu, 04 Jul 2024 07:12 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Hemant Soren Returns As CM: JMM executive president Hemant Soren took oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Thursday, nearly five months after vacating the post before being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case. On Wednesday, JMM leader Champai Soren resigned as the CM to make way for Hemant Soren to assume the office for a third time.

"A few days ago, I was made the Chief Minister and I got the responsibility of the state. After Hemant Soren was back, our alliance took this decision and we chose Hemant Soren as our leader. Now, I have resigned from the post of Chief Minster," Champai Soren told reporters. 

Why Hemant Soren Resigned And What Is The Case Against Him?

Hemant Soren, who is presently out on bail, had resigned from the CM post on January 31 this year, shortly ahead of his arrest. The case against Hemant Soren is linked to an alleged land scam. The ED probe pertains to the purported generation of substantial proceeds of crime through the alleged forgery of official records, which it says involved information about "fake sellers and buyers", to acquire large parcels of land. The money-laundering case stems from an FIR registered on June 1 last year.

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According the ED, the "scam" involved the illegal sale of two land parcels, valued at a combined worth of Rs 74.39 crore, in Ranchi. As per the ED, one of the plots originally belonged to the Army. Hemant Soren's name popped up in the probe after purported links between him and a former revenue sub-inspector of Bargaain Circle Office, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, came to the fore. Prasad had already been identified as a accused by then.

Key Facts About Hemant Soren

Hemant Soren first assumed the office of CM in Jharkhand on July 13, 2013, becoming the youngest person to lead the state's government. The stint, which did not last longer than a few months, became possible due to the RJD's and the Congress party's support to JMM for government formation. Later, in 2019, the JMM-led alliance returned to power in the state after dislodging the BJP.

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The coalition victory was widely attributed to a massive agitation led by Hemant Soren against controversial amendments proposed by the Raghubar Das-led state government. The amendments were aimed at allowing the leasing out of tribal land for non-agricultural purposes.

(With inputs from agencies)