'Won't Accept Defeat,' Hemant Soren Breaks Silence Over Arrest, 47 JMM MLAs Back Champai Rai for CM

Hemant Soren Arrest News: After nearly seven hours of questioning, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the land scam case. Soon after being apprehended, Hemant Soren had tendered his resignation to the Governor. Earlier, Soren refused to sign the arrest memo till his resignation. Soon after resigning, he was arrested. Meanwhile, amid talks of Hemant's wife Kalpana being made the CM, party MLAs have backed Transport Minister Champai Soren as the next CM. At the heart of the case is the misuse of the office of CM to give government land to private individual. 

According to our sources, Hemant Soren left in an ED car from his residence. Soren was taken to the Raj Bhavan where he tendered his resignation. After the Governor accepted the resignation, Soren will be  taken to the Ranchi unit of ED. Tomorrow, he will presented before the ED Court.

Highest-ranking bureaucrats, including Chief Secretary and DG, were all present at CM Soren's residence during his arrest.

. 

 Jharkhand Land Scam | Hemant Soren Arrest News: Updates

• “In Case I am Arrested, Champai Soren Will Be Head of The Legislature Party in Jharkhand”: Hemant Soren's Direction to Party Functionaries Surfaces
  
   

• RJD Stands With Hemant Soren, Tweets Tejashwi - Taking to X, former Deputy Chie Minister Tejashwi Yadav wrote, “Bihar, Chandigarh and now Jharkhand! BJP has ruined democracy and federalism in a single week. It is not hidden from anyone what the central government is doing by destroying the impartiality of the investigating agencies due to the fear of electoral defeat and by making the agencies cells of the BJP. Now the public will break the arrogance of the BJP, filled with arrogance.”
• Hemant Soren refuses to sign arrest memo. ED sources say, Soren will soon be shown arrested after another round of questioning.
• Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur says, “CM Hemant Soren has decided to resign. Champai Soren has been chosen as the new leader of the Legislative party... All the MLAs are with us...”
• “We have given our Letter of Support for Champai Soren to the Jharkhand governor,” said an MLA, who is present in front of the Raj Bhavan
• Champai Soren likely to be Jharkhand CM, according to sources
• JMM MLAs to meet governor at 8.50 pm. JMM MLAs, led by Transport Minister Champai Soren, reach Raj Bhawan 
• Soren's Carcade Sent to Police Line Ranchi: It is not yet clear if Hemant Soren is inside the carcade
• Governor has given appointment to JMM MLAs at 9 PM, No Confirmation From Governor yet: Kalpana Soren likely to be made leader of Legislative Party and might claim stake to the CM throne in case Hemant Soren gets arrested.
• Unprecedented Scenes in Ranchi: ED officials, including Joint Director, inside CM's residence have been asked to switch off their mobile phones. After Soren lodged FIR against the 9 ED officials in SC/ST police station, it is now to be seen whether they get arrested.
• Section 144 imposed outside CM Soren's House. Security has also been tightened near the Raj Bhavan.

• Land and Mining Scam May be Related, Say Sources: Many officers and power brokers named in both cases are the same. Further probe to reveal link between the two scams, say ED sources.
• Cash diary reveals all shady transactions: Private property, valued at Rs 20 crore, given at Rs 7 crore to a private individual. Several land parcels were handed over to private persons, in which bureaucrats played a major role. ED has already submitted the cash diary to the ED court.
• Wife Kalpana Soren to take over as CM After Soren's Arrest: Top officers, including Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi, Chief Secretary and DGP, have been summoned to the CM residence. In case Soren is arrested, two mini buses carrying all the JMM MLAs will be taken to the Raj Bhavan to show support for the party.
• Top cops arrive at CM Soren's residence: IG Akhilesh Jha and DIG Anup Birthare inside CM residence
• Two Buses Arrive at CM Residence: The buses came from the back gate of CM residence. It is estimated that preparations are being made to shift the MLAs.
• Soren Making Mockery of SC/ST Act - BJP's Babulal Marandi on Soren Filing FIR in SC/ST Police Station: "Hemant Soren himself has filed a case against ED officials in the SC-ST police station under the SC-ST Act. There cannot be a bigger example of misuse and mockery of the SC/ST Act than this. Soren has already tarnished the reputation of himself and the Soren family by his “actions”, now may God give him some wisdom," said Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand Babulal Marandi.
• Hemant Soren files police complaint against Enforcement Directorate officials: Hemant Soren lodges FIR against ED sleuths at SC/ST police station in Ranchi over agency's searches at Delhi house, according to our sources.
• Soren Cooperating With ED Probe, Says JMM: Health Minister and Congress leader Banna Gupta stated that Soren is cooperating in the investigation, emphasising the responsibility of constitutional institutions to conduct such probes appropriately. State Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh informed PTI that all legislators firmly support the chief minister.
• Jharkhand DGP Arrives At Soren's House To Review Security: The Director General of Police (DGP), Jharkhand, arrived at Hemant Soren's house to review security preparations amid ED probe.   
• ED Team Begins Questioning Hemant Soren: As probe in the money laundering case takes shape, as many as nine ED officials arrived at Hemant Soren's residence and started quizzing the Jharkhand CM in the alleged land scam case. 
• ED Team Reaches Soren's Residence: The Enforcement Directorate team has reached the residence of Hemant Soren to question him in money laundering case. 
• Jharkhand Govt Forms 3-Member Team to Ensure Law & Order: Jharkhand Government has constituted a three-member team headed by the Secretary of Finance Department to ensure law and order in the state, in view of ED questioning of CM Hemant Soren.
• Jharkhand CM Heads to Meet His Father Shibu Soren Ahead of ED Probe: Ahead of the ED questioning and potential arrest of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in the money laundering case today, he headed to meet his father, former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren.   
• JMM MP Mahua Manjhi Reaches Hemant Soren's Residence: Remarking that JMM leaders have reached Soren's residence to boost his morale ahead of ED questioning, Manjhi said, “Party is prepared for every situation. The efforts made by the BJP to topple the government can be seen in Jharkhand.” 
• Concerned People Should Cooperate, Says BSP MP on ED probes: "I believe that all the agencies of the country should carry out their work. The concerned people should cooperate, answer the ED, and present documents. As an opposition, we should highlight the government's shortcomings in Parliament," said BSP leader Malook Nagar on ED investigations.
• Section 144 Clamped Near Jharkhand CM's Residence: The Jharkhand Police has clamped Section 144 near Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's residence ahead of ED questioning. 
• Soren To Face ED Today, Security Beefed Up: The security arrangements outside the ED's Ranchi office has been beefed up. The probe agency will question Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in the money laundering case. 
• Soren Will Cooperate With ED, Says JMM Leader: On ED to question Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren at his residence today, JMM leader Manoj Pandey said, "CM Hemant Soren has himself given an appointment to the ED. He will cooperate. He has answered all questions previously as well, and he'll do that today again. But the prejudice on the part of the central agencies makes it seem that they've been given a task. What are they trying to do to a popular tribal Chief Minister, will finally be unfolded..."
• JMM Leaders To Huddle in Ranchi: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren has called all party MLAs and leaders for a meeting at 11 am, according to sources.  
• JMM to File Case Against BJP Jharkhand Chief: Jharkhand’s ruling JMM on Tuesday said that it will file a case against state BJP chief Babulal Marandi for allegedly defaming Chief Minister Hemant Soren by his comment on the JMM leader's "absence" in the state capital Ranchi.
• ED-CBI Do Whatever BJP Wants, Says Congress: On ED probe of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said, "...ED-CBI is frontal now. They do whatever the BJP wants. If the CM of a state is harassed like this and entrapped in false cases...Has any BJP minister been raided in these 9 years? Elections are approaching, so they want to break everyone down...I would urge JP Nadda to have an office for them (central agencies) at the BJP office in every state and the BJP headquarters in Delhi...A separate ED office is needlessly taking up space..."
• Delhi CM Kejriwal Helped Soren to flee Delhi, claims BJP: "According to the information, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal helped in driving away Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren from Delhi to Ranchi, this cooperation extended to Varanasi. Then, Jharkhand minister Mithlesh Thakur took him from Varanasi to Ranchi," alleged BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
• Jharkhand CM to Appear Before ED Today: Amid reports suggesting that Jharkhand CM will appear before the ED today, JMM MP Mahua Maji said that Soren is ready to face the probe agency on January 31 and has absolutely no fear.