Vishal Kant works as an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He tracks developments in Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi government. Vishal has spent about a decade covering the city politics and governance, besides writing on Delhi’s civic issues, urban transport and infrastructure.
Articles by Vishal Kant
CM Soren questions ED’s‘silence’ on its raids in Jharkhand
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has questioned the lack of “official briefings” by the Enforcement Directorate on its ongoing raids in the state in connection with the alleged MNREGA scam.
Published on May 27, 2022 09:59 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
Hemant Soren questions ED’s ‘silence’ over Jharkhand raids
ED deputy director (Ranchi) has said that things related to an investigation are not revealed till the charge sheet is filed. A BJP spokesperson said ED is investigating a corruption case, why is the CM getting disturbed?
Updated on May 27, 2022 02:00 PM IST
National Games ‘scam’: CBI searches ex-minister’s houses, other locations in Jharkhand
The CBI on Thursday conducted searches at 16 locations, including the residence of Jharkhand’s former sports minister and Bandhu Tirkey, in the case of alleged irregularities in multi-crore equipment purchases for the 34th National Games held here in 2011, officials said.
Published on May 26, 2022 09:42 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
CBI raids Jharkhand Cong working president Bandhu Tirkey in court-ordered probe
CBI conducted the raids as part of its investigation into the 2011 National Games ordered by the Jharkhand high court. Tirkey was arrested in the case in 2019 as well when the state vigilance officials investigated the charges
Published on May 26, 2022 11:36 AM IST
Jharkhand mining lease case: HC defers hearing against CM Hemant Soren, others
The high court deferred hearing the case after senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Jharkhand government, told the division bench that he has filed a SLP before the Supreme Court and the latter has agreed to hear it Friday.
Published on May 19, 2022 11:35 PM IST
Jharkhand governor withholds assent to SC/ST seniority bill
Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais on Wednesday sent to the Attorney General of India a bill passed by the state legislature in March to facilitate promotion of state government employees belonging to Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste on the basis of seniority.
Published on May 19, 2022 12:46 AM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
Judicial panel to probe irregularities in construction of J’khand assembly, court building
Both projects were initiated during the previous BJP regime and are worth several hundred crores. While the Assembly building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2019, ahead of the assembly polls, the high court building is still under construction.
Updated on May 17, 2022 04:29 PM IST
Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal arrested in PMLA case
The 2000 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was produced before the court of PK Sharma, the designated court to hear money laundering cases in Ranchi.
Updated on May 12, 2022 02:33 AM IST
ED arrests Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal in money laundering case
ED arrested Pooja Singhal after questioning her for two days in a money laundering case linked to alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds in Jharkhand’s Khunti district.
Updated on May 11, 2022 06:46 PM IST
EC grants CM Soren more time to reply to notice over mine lease
Jharkhand chief minister had written to the ECI on Monday, seeking a four-week extension of time to respond to the notice. The ECI, however, granted Soren 10 days to submit his reply.
Updated on May 11, 2022 08:16 AM IST
PIL on mining lease case aimed at destabilising my govt: J'khand CM Soren to HC
Soren’s response came after Shiv Shankar Sharma on February 16 sought CBI and ED probes into how Hemant Soren, who is in-charge of the mining department, obtained the lease for a piece of land on the outskirts of Ranchi
Updated on May 07, 2022 04:44 AM IST
PIL on mining lease aimed at destabilising my govt, Soren tells HC
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who has been accused of allotting a mine lease to himself, has submitted before the high court that the public interest litigation (PIL) in the matter has been filed by his political rivals to “destabilise the democratically elected state government” headed by him.
Published on May 06, 2022 09:18 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
PIL on mining lease seeks to destabilise my govt, Hemant Soren tells Jharkhand HC
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren told the high court that the man who filed a public interest litigation against him had a “personal grudge” against him.
Updated on May 06, 2022 06:35 PM IST
Jharkhand's first family hit by graft charges
While chief minister Hemant Soren is in the midst of an office-of-profit controversy, two more members of the family are also facing legal trouble.
Updated on May 02, 2022 04:57 AM IST
Jharkhand secretary responds to EC notice; governor meets PM Modi, Shah
Taking note of a complaint by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the poll body had recently written to state chief secretary Sukhdev Singh seeking “authentication” of the documents related to granting of the mining lease to the chief minister.
Updated on Apr 28, 2022 05:42 AM IST
Jharkhand Governor meets Modi, Shah amid turbulence in state
Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah and apprised them of the prevailing situation in the state, Raj Bhawan said in a statement.
Published on Apr 27, 2022 09:22 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
EC seeks reply from Jharkhand govt over charges against CM Hemant Soren
The ECI has written to Jharkhand chief secretary Sukhdev Singh seeking ‘authentication’ of the documents related to the granting of mining lease to the chief minister, a top official said, requesting anonymity.
Updated on Apr 17, 2022 12:43 AM IST
ECI seeks Hemant Soren’s mining lease details over ‘office of profit’ complaint
‘Only the ECI can decide on issues related to office of profit for elected representatives. The commission has therefore written to the state government seeking information and authentication of the documents related to granting of the lease before sending its opinion to the Governor’
Updated on Apr 16, 2022 10:44 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
Ropeway tragedy: Poor safety, preparedness in focus as two-day ordeal ends
In all, three people died since the 766-metre cableway connecting to a pilgrimage site on Trikut hills developed a snag on Sunday, leading to a collision between two cars that claimed the life of one person.
Updated on Apr 13, 2022 01:59 AM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
2 dead, 15 stuck on Jharkhand ropeway
32 persons were rescued in Sunday’s ropeway mishap at Tirkut hills in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district while another 15 are still stranded mid-air.
Updated on Apr 12, 2022 04:32 AM IST
Four Cong MLAs back Soren, put own party ministers in dock
Four of the Congress’s 16 legislators in Jharkhand on Thursday held a meeting and expressed their support for chief minister Hemant Soren while questioning the performance of four ministers from their own party.
Published on Apr 07, 2022 10:08 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
Rift widens in ruling alliance in J’khand, Cong MLAs told not to meet CM
The central leadership of Congress has asked party legislators not to meet chief minister Hemant Soren for at least next two months since their grievances have remained unattended, party leaders said.
Updated on Apr 05, 2022 01:56 AM IST
Vishal Kant, Hindustan Times, Ranchi
J'khand guv returns anti-lynching bill, asks state to revisit definition of mob
On December 12 last year, the Jharkhand assembly passed the “Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021” during the winter session.
Updated on Mar 18, 2022 01:41 AM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
Jharkhand Governor returns anti-lynching Bill
Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais has returned the anti-lynching Bill back to the Hemant Soren-led state government with two specific suggestions, including one to reconsider the definition of “mob”, which, as defined in the proposed law, was “not in consonance or in line with the well-defined legal lexicon or glossary”.
Published on Mar 17, 2022 09:31 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
KCR meets CM Soren in Ranchi, says not forming anti-BJP front
Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday met Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren at his residence here and said he was holding discussions with leaders across the country to chalk out a plan to “try something new” in order to give a new direction to the country.
Published on Mar 04, 2022 10:27 PM IST
No front has been formed yet, says KCR after meeting Hemant Soren in Ranchi
The Telangana chief minister underscored that the country could not achieve the kind of development it should have in 75 years hence there was a need to ‘try out something new’, making it apparent that he was eying a role in national politics.
Published on Mar 04, 2022 07:36 PM IST
Jharkhand breaks into six-digit budget bracket
Finance minister Rameshwar Oroan proposed a ₹1,01,010-crore budget, with a proposal to hike capital expenditure by 59 %.
Updated on Mar 03, 2022 09:43 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
Economic survey 2021-22: Unemployment in J’khand still above pre-Covid levels
Jharkhand’s economy is expected to grow by 8.8 per cent in the current financial year (2021-22) though the unemployment rate in the state continues to be in double digits and higher than the pre-Covid levels in January-February 2020, according to the economic survey for the current fiscal tabled in the state assembly by finance minister Rameshwar Oraon on Wednesday.
Published on Mar 02, 2022 09:21 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
Jharkhand governor, govt lock horns over Tribes Advisory Council
The governor has described the constitution of the Tribes Advisory Council without consulting Raj Bhawan as an encroachment into his rights and powers enshrined in the Fifth Schedule of Constitution
Updated on Feb 24, 2022 01:26 AM IST
J’khand govt, Governor on collision course over Tribes Advisory Council
Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais has described the constitution of the Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) by the state government without consulting Raj Bhawan as an encroachment into his rights and powers, according to a 13-page noting on the file by the Raj Bhawan regarding constitution of the council.
Published on Feb 23, 2022 09:54 PM IST
Vishal Kant, Ranchi
