Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's Aide Searched By Probe Agency

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is searching 10 locations in Ranchi and Rajasthan in a money laundering case linked to illegal mining in Jharkhand, sources said.

Those who have been searched include Abhishek Prasad, the press adviser of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

The others who are facing the ED action also include Hazaribag deputy superintendent of police Rajendra Dubey, and Sahib Ganj district collector Ram Nivas. The district collector's home is in Rajasthan.

In another case linked to an alleged land scam, the ED on Saturday issued summons for the seventh time to Mr Soren seeking to record his statement.

The ED in the summons warned the Jharkhand Chief Minister that it was his last opportunity to record his statement.

"... We are giving you this last opportunity to record your statement under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002... which should be within seven days of receipt of this notice/summons," the ED said in the summons to Mr Soren.

Mr Soren has called the summons "illegal", news agency ANI reported on Tuesday. In a letter to the ED, Mr Soren said he has already given the details of his properties.

"Soren has written to the ED in response to the summons issued to him, saying the summons are illegal. He accused ED of making a media trial of the whole matter. In his reply, he said he had already given the details of properties. He accused the ED of trying to destabilise his government," ANI reported quoting an unnamed source.

Mr Soren is also being investigated over allegations of money laundering linked to the illegal mining case in Sahebganj district. The Chief Minister, who is in charge of the mines and geology department, allegedly violated election rules by giving himself a mining lease in 2021.

Mr Soren has denied any wrongdoing and alleged a larger conspiracy to "harass a tribal leader".

The ED searches comes just months ahead of the national election. Mr Soren has dismissed speculation about his wife Kalpana Soren being prepped to contest from Gandey assembly constituency as a "complete imagination" of the BJP.

The speculation was triggered by the ED's latest summons to Mr Soren, coupled with the resignation by the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad on Monday.

The BJP has alleged Mr Ahmad was made to quit so that Kalpana Soren could contest from the Gandey seat in case of any eventuality in connection with the ED matter.