Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Monday ordered the Cabinet Vigilance Department to register preliminary enquiries against five BJP leaders. (File)Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren Monday ordered the Cabinet Vigilance Department to register preliminary enquiries against five BJP leaders, four of whom are sitting MLAs and held cabinet posts in the previous government, for allegedly having assets from more than known sources of income.
Among them are current BJP MLAs Amar Kumar Bauri from Chandankyari, Randhir Singh from Sarath, Neera Yadav from Koderma, and Neelkanth Singh Munda from Khunti. Louis Marandi is a former MLA from Dumka. Earlier this year, Hemant Soren had ordered an inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against Bauri, Yadav, Munda, Singh, and Marandi, who were all ministers in the government of Raghubar Das.
The press release issued by the Information and Public Relations Department said the matter relates to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Jharkhand High Court in 2020 and a simultaneous complaint made to the Cabinet Vigilance Department after which the ACB was asked to check the veracity of it.
“The Anti-Corruption Bureau has confirmed all five former ministers (of the BJP) of having disproportionate assets,” added the release. It also said the purpose of preliminary inquiry is to decide whether ‘in the interest of justice’, the matter should be inquired into.
“…(BJP leaders) par parivadi dwaara lagaye pratyanupaatik dhaarjan ke aarop ke liye ab tak ke gopniya satyapan se pushti hone ka ullekh karte hue unke viruddh alag alag PE darz karne hetu anumati ki maang ki gayi. (The complainant had alleged that the BJP leaders had disproportionate assets after which it was verified (by the ACB) confidentially and permission was sought for preliminary enquiries against them,” the release said.