Security tightened in Ranchi, large gatherings banned as ED questions Hemant Soren

Prohibitory orders have been 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 amid Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s questioning by the ED, officials said on Wednesday.

Officers of the Enforcement Directorate reached the CM's residence here around 1.20 pm to record his statement in an alleged money laundering case linked to a land scam. The questioning has been continuing for over five hours, an official said.

Amid 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, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, which was earlier made effective from 9 am to 10pm on Wednesday, has now been extended till further notice 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 and meetings cannot be held in and around these areas.

The three-member special team is led by finance secretary Prashant Kumar and has mines director Arva Rajkamal and special branch IG Prabhat Kumar as members.

Following protests that took place across the state on January 20 during Soren’s questioning by ED sleuths 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 have been 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.