At a time when he participated  in the opposition INDIA camp meeting in Mumbai where he was seen standing behind Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, Enforcement Directorate Friday issued summons to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to appear before it on September 9. 

Soren has challenged the ED’s move in the Supreme Court questioning its perspective of “ summon.” 

The apex court has not responded to his plea till date. Against this background, ED issued third summon to Hemant Soren though it is not yet clear which case he will be questioned about. 

Before this, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and CM Soren was questioned by ED in November last year in connection with the Sahebganj ‘Rs 1000 crore’ illegal mining case in which his confidante and assembly representative Pankaj Mishra has been arrested. 

ED is investigating several cases in Jharkhand under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). 

The first one involved Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Pooja Singhal, who was arrested in a case of money laundering involving the alleged diversion of MGNREGA funds during her tenure as the Khunti deputy commissioner in 2009-2010. She is currently under judicial custody. In the same case, middleman Prem Prakash was arrested.