Ranchi, Jharkhand: In a significant development ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, Income Tax officials conducted raids on Saturday at the residence of Sunil Srivastava, personal secretary to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and other associates. The searches are being carried out at nine locations across Ranchi and Jamshedpur, as part of an ongoing investigation.

Sources reported that the Income Tax Department’s action includes properties linked to Srivastava and other individuals with close ties to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leadership. The raids follow a series of legal challenges faced by the JMM leadership, including CM Hemant Soren himself, who was arrested in January 2024 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged land scam involving forged documents for 8.86 acres in Ranchi's Badgai area.

With the 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly election approaching, scheduled in two phases on November 13 and November 20, these raids have added to the political tensions in the state. Over 2.6 crore voters, including 11.84 lakh first-time voters, are expected to cast their ballots, with results set to be announced on November 23.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha currently holds 30 seats in the Assembly, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holding 25 and the Congress holding 16 seats. These raids, occurring at a politically charged moment, may impact the dynamics as the state heads to the polls. Further details regarding the purpose of these investigations and any findings are anticipated.