9 september 2024 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating a land scam in Jharkhand involving Chief Minister Hemant Soren, has discovered that 1,800 acres of tribal land were illegally seized by criminal elements. These individuals manipulated land records and changed the status of the property to make it sellable.
The ED’s probe has revealed that the scam involved altering land records through fraudulent deeds and false identities at various registration offices in Kolkata and Jharkhand. The agency has identified ₹3,000 crore in illicit gains related to this case.
The land in question was originally classified as non-saleable under the Chota Nagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act, designed to protect tribal and marginalized communities. The fraudulent activities included forging documents dating back to 1932.
The investigation has led to the arrest of at least 25 individuals, including Soren, who was taken into custody on January 31 and released on June 28. The ED’s charge sheet alleges that Soren illegally acquired 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi, valued at around ₹31 crore, although he denies the accusations.
During the search operations last year, the ED confiscated extensive property documents and original registers from the premises of an accused, Bhanu Pratap Prasad. The investigation revealed that the scammers had created back-dated deeds and used counterfeit stamps to facilitate the illegal transactions.