‘Where, oh where, is Hemant Soren‘ – the thought that consumed the Enforcement Directorate and headlined national news for nearly 48 hours this week, and led to the Jharkhand Chief Minister’s JMM and BJP (and followers) exchanging jabs on social media, as well as an entertaining flood of memes.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief had been called by the ED to join a money laundering probe. Mr Soren was first questioned on January 20, after which a fresh summons demanded his presence again, and said he could choose from one of two dates. He chose January 29 but then went “missing”. He was not at his home in Delhi’s Shantiniketan when ED officials came at 7 am (and stayed for 13 hours), and was not at his government’s office in Vasant Vihar.

A “Missing” Chief Minister Hemant Soren

What followed was two days of confusion; nobody seemed to know (or would admit to knowing) where Mr Soren was, including his own government, and the phones of senior staffers were switched off.

There were allegations – trumpeted by the  BJP’s Nishikant Dubey – Mr Soren was prepping for his arrest, and was on the run to buy time to name his wife, Kalpana Soren, as a puppet Chief Minister, so he could retain power even after being arrested.

READ | Plane Parked, BMW Seized: Search For ‘Missing’ Hemant Soren

There were also claims the Jharkhand leader – who arrived in Delhi Saturday night in a private plane – had snuck out of his house late Sunday, and left “on foot” with only a shawl wrapped around him.

Money, More Money, And A BMW

Meanwhile, dramatic visuals of Rs 36 lakh in cash recovered from Mr Soren’s Delhi home and the seizure of a luxury SUV, a BMW X7 that is priced at around Rs 1.3 crore, made headlines Tuesday.

Mr Soren’s driver was also questioned, but he could shed no light on the matter.

The “Missing” Posters

In the midst of this, Mr Soren’s party insisted he had been in touch with them and swatted away taunts by the BJP, which put up posters mimicking those asking for information about ‘lost persons’.

READ | “If Anyone Saw Him…”: BJP’s ‘Missing’ Ad For Hemant Soren

One poster, shared by the BJP’s Jharkhand chief, Babulal Marandi, offered Rs 11,000 as a reward.

The JMM also reminded the ED – which the opposition believes is used by the BJP to target its rivals – he had been scheduled to appear on January 31, after the agency accepted a request to reschedule.

The party also said the agency had been told Mr Soren’s schedule had changed and that the Chief Minister would now be available at his home in Ranchi – at 1 pm on January 31.

So Where Did Hemant Soren Go?

Quite simply, it seems Mr Soren drove out of Delhi in an unknown car, dodged on-alert media and law enforcement agencies, evaded toll booth cameras, and reached Ranchi – nearly 1,300 km away.

How he knew ED officials would land up at his home the following day, after having told them he would appear for questioning later in the week, is not yet clear.

The private plane that brought the JMM leader to Delhi remained parked at the Indira Gandhi International Airport all this time, with a team of ED officials watching it.

What Did He Say After Resurfacing?

“I reside in your hearts…” Mr Soren declared after re-appearing in Ranchi Tuesday afternoon.

His party said Mr Soren had travelled to Delhi on “personal work” and returned, and slammed the ED’s action – searching the Chief Minister’s home in his absence – “uncalled for” and “unconstitutional”.

READ | Plane In Delhi, BMW Seized, ‘Missing’ Hemant Soren Pops Up In Ranchi

It transpired the JMM leader had called for and chaired a meeting of party legislators (they were effectively issued a whip) at his home, a meeting for which his wife, Kalpana Soren, was also present.

The meeting was reportedly called to discuss strategies regarding the ED’s questioning.

The Kalpana Soren Angle

Meanwhile, the presence of Kalpana Soren at the party legislators’ meet Tuesday has sparked another line of controversy, with speculation she will succeed her husband if (as is expected) he is arrested.

READ | Hemant Soren’s Wife May Be Named Chief Minister If He’s Arrested

The move will mirror that by RJD patriarch Lalu Yadav years ago; he made his wife, Rabri Devi, a Chief Minister after he was sent to jail on corruption charges. The JMM has said it will back Ms Soren, but there are legal hurdles since she is not a member of the Assembly and there is no time for a bypoll.

What Is The Case?

Mr Soren is being investigated in connection with an alleged racket of illegal change of land ownership by mafia in Jharkhand.

The ED has arrested 14 people in the case so far.

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One of the most talked-about moments in a 2023 film was the on-screen kiss between Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The duo portrayed characters who, thanks to a stroke of luck, were reunited as old lovers. This kiss between senior actors marked a significant and groundbreaking moment in Indian cinema.

In a recent interview, Shabana Azmi shared that her niece, the renowned actor Tabu, has been playfully teasing her about the kiss. According to Azmi, Tabu jokingly remarked that senior actors are now insisting on having a kiss sequence in their films.

Speaking to Zoom, Shabana Azmi disclosed, “Tabu, jo meri niece hai, itni shaitan hai. Woh kehti hai aapne hila ke rakh diya industry. Ab sab aapki age ki ladkiyaan keh rahi hai ke kiss hogi toh hum karenge.”

In a previous interview with Zoom, Shabana Azmi had addressed the controversy surrounding the on-screen kiss, expressing her surprise at the attention it received. She mentioned that people were laughing and cheering during the scene, and while filming, it was never considered a significant issue. Azmi humorously added, “It is true that I haven’t kissed much on screen before. But who wouldn’t want to kiss a man as handsome as Dharmendra?”

Hindu petitioners can worship inside the previously sealed basement – the ‘Vyas ka tekhana‘ area – of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, a city court ruled Wednesday. The judge also said arrangements, including removal of barricades, are to be completed in a week. The court further said prayers should be conducted by priests from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

“Hindu side allowed to offer prayers… district administration will have to make arrangements in seven days. Everyone will have the right to pray there,” Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer for the four Hindu women petitioners in this case, said.

The mosque committee is expected to challenge this order in a higher court.

The mosque has four ‘tekhana‘, or cellar, in the basement. One is still in the possession of a family of priests that used to live there. The family had argued that, as hereditary priests, they be allowed to enter the structure and perform pujas.

It had earlier been claimed debris from statues of Hindu gods was found during a survey of the area. It had also been claimed parts of a pre-existing structure – ruled as a temple by the ASI report – including pillars, were used in building the mosque.

Today’s order comes a day after the four Hindu women approached the Supreme Court asking for excavation and scientific survey of a ‘shivling‘ reportedly found inside the sealed ‘wazukhana‘ area of the mosque complex.

This area had been sealed in 2022 following a Supreme Court order, but the Hindu side has now asked the court for the ASI, or Archaeological Survey of India, to carry out another survey of the ‘wazukhana‘ area without harming the ‘shivling‘.

Last month, in a crucial judgement, the Allahabad High Court had rejected all petitions by the mosque committee that had challenged civil suits seeking restoration of the temple at the site.

The overall case relates to the Gyanvapi mosque, located adjacent to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

The High Court had heard, and rejected petitions, including two from the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, challenging the maintainability of a 1991 case before a Varanasi court.

The 1991 suit – filed on behalf of the Adi Vishveswar Virajman deity – sought control of the disputed premises. Challenging this, the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee and the Waqf board argued the suit was not maintainable under a law that restricts alteration of the character of a religious places as it existed on Independence Day, i.e., August 15, 1947.

The petitioners argued that because the dispute is pre-Independence it would not be affected.