More trouble is in store for former Chief Minister Hemant Soren arrested in connection with land scam as Soren’s former press advisor and close confidante Abhishek Prasad Pintu broke down before Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealing vital information in the land scam.
The Central probe agency recorded the statement of Abhishek Prasad Pintu under section 50 of the PMLA on March 18 , 2024 wherein he admitted that he knows Uday Shankar who is an official posted at CMO and further stated that he used to instruct him for several works.
On a specific question regarding his instructions to Uday Shankar he stated that he remembers to have instructed him to get information and verification of the said 8.96-acre land property at Bargain on the instructions of Hemant Soren. He further stated that he had given two more properties for verification to Uday Shankar over whatsapp which belonged to Hemant Soren and his family. He was shown the whatsapp chat between him and Uday Shankar. He admitted the chats dated 12/10.2022 in which he instructed Uday Shankar for verification of the two properties. The printouts of the chats and theirs were also attached. It is seen that these properties also belong to Hemant Soren.
The statement recorded by Abhishek Prasad Pintu before the ED has surprised everyone. The person who lived like a shadow with the then Chief Minister Hemant Soren, whom Hemant trusted the most, broke down in front of the ED and recorded his statement against Hemant Soren. Both supporters and critics of Hemant Soren believe that Hemant Soren is going through such difficult times because of Pintu, who was the core member of Hemant Soren's team, and many people like him. But when bad times came, people like Pintu were the first to be sidelined.
Here, former BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash said that the friendship of corruption and loot does not last long. He said that seeing the tightening of the noose of law, many good people leave him. Deepak Prakash said- 'Finally, Hemant Soren's trusted former press advisor Abhishek Pintu has confessed the truth that he used to play the whole game of loot-khasot (loot of Badgai land) at the behest of Hemant Soren.'
Also the ED, Ranchi has filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) against Hemant Soren & four others in one of the cases of land scam being investigated under the provisions of PMLA, 2002, for acquiring, possessing and concealing the proceeds of crime in the nature of an immovable property admeasuring 8.8 acres at Bariatu, Ranchi. The Hon’ble PMLA Court Ranchi has taken cognizance of the Prosecution Complaint on 04.04.2024.
