ED questioning of Jharkhand’s Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu under way in money-laundering case

Ranchi, February 10

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The Enforcement Directorate has been questioning the Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged land fraud, in which the agency recently arrested former chief minister Hemant Soren, officials said.

Sahu, 64, was seen entering the ED’s regional office here around 11 am and the grilling has been under way for more than eight hours now.

The Congress MP was in the news in December last year after the Income Tax department seized Rs 351.8 crore in cash during raids on the premises linked to Odisha-based Boudh Distillery Pvt. Ltd, promoted by his family.

The ED is recording Sahu’s statement in connection with his alleged links with Soren and a luxury car that was seized by the agency from the JMM executive president’s residence in Delhi during a search last month, the officials said.

According to the officials, ED sleuths found the car’s key in the Jharkhand government-leased property in south Delhi and took the vehicle with them after the completion of the raids there.

Sahibganj Deputy Commissioner Ramniwas Yadav and Soren’s press adviser Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu also appeared before the ED on Saturday for questioning in a money laundering investigation linked to alleged illegal mining in the state, officials said.

The ED sleuths had interrogated Prasad for several hours in connection with the case on Friday.

Meanwhile, another accused in the money laundering case related to former chief minister Hemant Soren, Bhanu Pratap Prasad on Saturday was taken to a piece of land at Bargain circle in Ranchi which, the ED claims, belonged to Soren.

Bhanu Pratap Prasad, a former revenue department sub-inspector of the Jharkhand government who is in ED custody in connection with the case, was taken there as part of the investigation, the officials said.

Soren was arrested on January 31 night after he resigned as the Jharkhand chief minister. Senior party leader and transport minister Champai Soren was then made his successor.