Conspiracies to acquire assets, bid to falsify papers for ownership: ED note on Soren

“There are strong reasons to believe Hemant Soren knowingly indulges in such activities by which he has acquired landed properties in his name as well as in the name of family… Hemant Soren is a party with one Bhanu Pratap Prasad and there are sufficient reasons to believe Hemant Soren has acquired proceeds of crime,” ED remand note read. Bhanu Pratap Prasad is a former revenue sub-inspector of Baragain Circle Office of Ranchi district. ED alleged that he was part of a syndicate acquiring properties “forcefully as well as on the basis of false deeds, falsification of government records, and tampering with original revenue records.” ED stated that Prasad was actively involved in “hatching conspiracies” with other persons “including Hemant Soren to acquire properties in illegal manner”.

Remand papers stated that ED found out that Prasad was “custodian of several original registers” in which the land records – ownership details – were falsified. ED said that Prasad’s phone had “several chats” of information related to “cash transactions, illegal benefits” emanating from acquisition of land illegally. ED said there was also an attempt to falsify records of the original register so that the “property can be entered in the name of Hemant Soren which was foiled by timely actions of this office (ED)”. ED in its remand note said: “…one image (of handwritten notes) containing the list of landed properties illegally acquired and possessed by Hemant Soren which were situated under his (Prasad’s) jurisdiction, approximately 8.5 acres, have also been recovered. Bhanu Pratap Prasad had himself conducted physical verification of the land on instruction which was passed on to him from CMO through the Circle officer.”  ED said after they conducted a survey of the land under PMLA provisions “illegal possession of the said property by Hemant Soren” was confirmed. ED added the cash haul of Rs 36 lakh and other documents linked to the illegal land deals from Soren’s New Delhi house as one of the reasons for the remand.