Rallies, meetings suspended ahead of CM Soren's questioning by ED

Prohibitory orders were clamped in key areas of Ranchi, and a three-member team has been formed to oversee the law and order situation in the Jharkhand capital, ahead of Chief Minister Hemant Soren's questioning by the ED, officials said Wednesday.

Officers of the Enforcement Directorate are scheduled to visit the CM's residence around 1 pm to record Soren's statement in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

Ending the suspense over his whereabouts and intense political drama, Soren reached his official residence here on Tuesday and chaired a meeting of his alliance MLAs.

According to an official release, the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC are effective from 9 am to 10 pm within a radius of 100 metres at key locations, including the CM House, Raj Bhavan and the ED office at Doranda,

As part of the restrictions, demonstrations, rallies or meetings cannot be held in and around these areas.

 

The special team is led by Finance Secretary Prashant Kumar. It also features Mines Director Arva Rajkamal and Special Branch IG Prabhat Kumar, it said.

Following protests that took place across the state on January 20 during Soren's questioning by sleuths of the ED at his residence here, the federal agency wrote to the Department of Home, Prison and Disaster Management to ensure law and order during the second round of quizzing on Wednesday, the release said.

As part of the security measures, barricades have been put up outside the ED office and the chief minister's residence, and more than 1,000 security personnel were deployed at strategic locations, a senior police officer said.

DGP Ajay Kumar Singh had said on Tuesday that elaborate security arrangements have been made across Jharkhand to maintain law and order, including deployment of an additional 7,000 policemen.