REVEALED: ED Releases WhatsApp Chats of Hemant Soren in Court, Vital Info on Land Scam Accessed

New Delhi: In a big development, the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday released the confidential WhatsApp chats of now-arrested former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Delhi Court in connection with the land scam case. The chats highlight the exchange of confidential information regarding several properties. It also reveals other incriminating information relating to transfer posting, sharing of government records etc, out of which huge amount of money appears to have been generated and transacted.

Probing Soren, the central investigating agency had questioned the former Jharkhand CM on his highly incriminating WhatsApp chats with his close aide Binod Singh. The chats brought to light details of several properties that have been under ED scanner. The ED told the court that during the time Soren was in its custody, "details of several other properties have also emerged, to which the accused person Shri Hemant Soren is neither divulging true information in his knowledge nor showing cooperation".

The federal agency said it was also undertaking raids in this case on Wednesday and it wanted to confront Soren with Bhanu Pratap Prasad, a revenue department sub- inspector, whom it has arrested in this case for allegedly conspiring with the former CM for allegedly acquiring 12 plots of land measuring about 8.5 acres.

It informed the court that Soren was confronted with WhatsApp chats between him and his close associate Binod Singh which it claimed were "highly incriminating and contain details of several properties and had several confidential documents".

These chats "not only include exchange of confidential information regarding several properties but other incriminating information relating to transfer and posting, sharing of government records, etc., out of which huge amount of money appears to have been generated and transacted".

The agency claimed that Binod Singh also had WhatsApp chats with several other persons regarding transfer and posting of officials and sharing of several admit cards of students appearing for competitive exams held by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission.

While appending some pictures of the WhatsApp exchanges between Soren and Binod Singh, the ED said these were only "a few samples" and such conversations run in over 530 pages.

(With inputs from PTI)