CM gives nod to probe assets of 5 former ministers, all from BJP
RANCHI: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren Monday gave nod to initiate a vigilance probe into the alleged disproportionate assets of five members of former chief minister Raghubar Das’s cabinet, a statement issued by the CM secretariat said.
The direction comes following a request from the cabinet secretariat & vigilance department, headed by the chief minister, to register a preliminary enquiry (PE) based on an initial probe conducted by the state’s anti corruption bureau (ACB).
The chief minister had, on June 1 this year, directed the ACB to conduct a probe in light of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a probe into the alleged disproportionate assets, which filed by one Pankaj Yadav before Jharkhand High Court in 2020.
“Chief minister Hemant Soren has directed the cabinet secretariat and vigilance department to register PE for further probe into the disproportionate assets of former ministers Randhir Singh, Neelkanth Singh Munda, Luis Marandi, Neera Yadav and Amar Bauri,” a statement from the chief minister’s secretariat said.
The five former ministers, all from BJP, which is now in opposition in the state, were part of Raghubar Das cabinet from 2014 to 2019. Except Luis Marandi, the rest four are currently members of the state’s legislative assembly.
Though the PIL was filed on January 28, 2020, the matter is yet to be listed for hearing in the high court.
BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said that the direction to register a PE shows frustration on part of the chief minister, who is set to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.
“He had nothing to act against the BJP in past three years. However, threw days before he is set to appear before the ED, he has given direction to lodge PE against BJP leaders. We are not scared of any impartial probe,” Shahdeo said.