New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has rejected Chief Minister Hemant Soren`s request to prepone his questioning to November 16 instead of November 17 in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in Jharkhand, sources said on Tuesday.

central probe agency cited some investigation-related issues and its preparedness while declining Soren`s request

The central probe agency cited some investigation-related issues and its preparedness while declining Soren`s request, the sources added.

The agency has said that the Chief Minister will have to depose before the investigation officer at its Ranchi-based regional office on November 17 which it fixed in its previous summons to the leader, a source, privy to the probe said.

Earlier, the Jharkhand Chief Minister had written to the ED requesting it to prepone his questioning in the case on November 16 instead of November 17 due to some political and other official engagements after the agency issued the second summon against him.

Initially, the federal agency summoned Hemant Soren on November 3 but he did not depose citing official engagements. The Jharkhand CM had then sought a three-week deferment of the summons.

The Enforcement Directorate wants to record Hemant Soren`s statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).