News Brief
Nishtha Anushree
Feb 08, 2024, 03:31 PM | Updated 03:31 PM IST
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Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, who became the centre of the 'highest-ever' Income Tax seizure, has now been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's case.
According to Indian Express, the central investigative agency wants to question Sahu about his purported links with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and about a BMW SUV that was seized by ED from Soren's Delhi residence.
Prior to Soren's arrest on 31 January, ED officials had seized a BMW car and Rs 36 lakh in cash from his Delhi residence. While Soren denied this car was his, ED officials now believe that the car might be of Sahu through some “benami” way.
According to NDTV sources, the car with a Haryana number plate is registered in the name of a firm owned by Sahu. Earlier, over Rs 350 crore was found during raids at premises linked to Sahu in action against Boudh Distillery.
Sahu, a resident of Lohardaga in Jharkhand, has been in Congress for almost five decades as he began his political career as a student leader in 1977. He is serving as a Rajya Sabha MP for the third time from Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, Soren is in ED's judicial custody, which was extended for five days by a PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in Ranchi yesterday. He is arrested on charges of 8.5 acre land scam.
Notably, JMM and Congress are in alliance in Jharkhand and if these corruption charges on both the leaders are proven, it will be an alliance of corruption.
Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.