8.86acre Bargain land case: PMLA court frames charges against Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

RANCHI: A special PMLA court in Ranchi on Wednesday framed charges against Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in the alleged 8.86-acre Bargain land fraud case, paving the way for the trial to begin, his lawyer said.“The special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court framed charges against the Jharkhand chief minister and now put the matter for trial,” Soren’s lawyer Sanjeev Sahay said.Soren appeared before the court through video conferencing. The trial will now proceed with the examination of witnesses, news agency PTI reported.The Enforcement Directorate had registered a money laundering case in connection with the alleged illegal acquisition and transfer of the land in Ranchi’s Bargain area.The case centres on allegations that Soren abused his position as chief minister to unlawfully acquire the land.The ED had alleged that forged official records were used to alter ownership details and that fake sellers and purchasers were involved in the transactions.The agency had also claimed that witnesses examined during its investigation confirmed Soren’s alleged involvement.Soren was arrested by the ED in January 2024 in connection with the land case and was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in June 2024.The high court, while granting bail, held that prima facie he was not guilty of the offence and that there was no likelihood of him committing an offence while on bail.The charge-framing proceedings had been deferred on September 24 after Soren’s counsel sought time to examine a list of unverified documents supplied by the ED.The PMLA court subsequently fixed September 30 for the proceedings.The court had already framed charges against several other accused in the case, all of whom pleaded not guilty.(With agency inputs)Stay updated with the latest Ranchi news. Download the TOI App.