'Hemant Soren had taken help of revenue officer in land scam', claims Enforcement Directorate

The troubles of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is in jail, are not showing any signs of abating. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday claimed that Soren took the help of a revenue officer, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, for alleged activities related to illegal possession, acquisition and proceeds of crime.

The agency claims that Prasad abused his position of authority and assisted multiple people in endeavours about unlawful occupation, the purchase and seizure of real estate obtained through illegal means.

The ED made its announcement following the filing of a prosecution complaint in a land scam case against Soren and four other individuals by its Ranchi unit. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 is being used to investigate him for the acquisition, possession, and concealment of 8.8 acres of immovable property in Bariatu, Ranchi.

The ED said its investigation into the land scam cases has revealed the role of one of the accused, Bhanu Pratap Prasad. The agency said that it had come to know that a racket of land mafia was active in Jharkhand, which used to falsify land records in Ranchi. It has also been revealed that land ownership documents have also been forged to benefit the land mafia.

The statement further said that after this, such plots were sold to other people based on fake land documents. It said the original land records of ownership were either tampered with or hidden, leading to illegal acquisition, occupation and use of such properties. Four others named Bhanu Pratap Prasad, Binod Singh, Hilarius Kachhap and Raj Kumar Pahan have also been named as accused in the ED prosecution complaint for their role in helping Hemant Soren in the illegal acquisition and possession of the property.