Ranchi Mourns Rupi Soren, 80, as Supreme Court Upholds CBI Probe into ED Officers
Ranchi was at the center of state attention this week as Rupi Soren, the 80-year-old mother of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, died after a prolonged illness that included weeks of treatment at hospitals in Ranchi and Hyderabad. Thousands paid tribute in Ranchi on October 8 before her mortal remains were taken to Nemra for the last rites. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court delivered a significant ruling by declining to stay the Jharkhand High Court's transfer of an investigation into Enforcement Directorate officials in Ranchi to the CBI.
CM Hemant Soren's Mother Rupi Soren Dies at 80
Rupi Soren, the mother of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, died after a prolonged illness at the age of 80. Her medical care had taken her to Hyderabad, where she was sent on September 7 for treatment. Her condition showed some improvement during her stay in Hyderabad, but after she returned home to Jharkhand, her health deteriorated once again. The deterioration after returning home led to her being admitted to a private hospital in Ranchi. She passed away at that private hospital in Ranchi, with the death reported on October 7, 2026. Rupi Soren held considerable personal and political significance in Jharkhand's public life. In June 2026, she had appeared at a ceremony in New Delhi where she received the Padma Bhushan award on behalf of her late husband, JMM patriarch Shibu Soren, to whom the award was being conferred posthumously. That ceremony took place on June 23, 2026, and a photograph from that occasion was widely associated with coverage of her passing. Shibu Soren had been a towering figure in the founding of Jharkhand as a separate state, and Rupi Soren was a central part of that political and personal legacy. Her death drew grief from across political lines in the state. [10]
Leaders Pay Homage in Ranchi Before Last Rites at Nemra
On October 8, 2026, leaders from across Jharkhand and the broader political community gathered in Ranchi to pay their final tributes to Rupi Soren, the mother of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Chief Minister Hemant Soren was present as his mother's mortal remains prepared to leave Ranchi for Nemra. He personally accompanied the mortal remains on the journey from Ranchi to Nemra, where the last rites were to be performed that day. The medical history leading to her death had been one of extended struggle at a hospital in Ranchi. She had been under treatment at that Ranchi hospital for several weeks, during which she had required ventilator support on repeated occasions. At one point during her treatment, her health appeared to improve briefly, raising cautious hopes among those around her. However, that brief recovery did not last, and her health deteriorated suddenly thereafter, despite the sustained medical efforts at the Ranchi hospital. The repeated need for ventilator assistance underscored the severity of her condition during those final weeks of treatment. The tribute events in Ranchi on October 8 brought together public figures and ordinary citizens who came to pay their respects to the matriarch of one of Jharkhand's most prominent political families. The procession carrying her mortal remains then departed Ranchi for Nemra, her native place, where the last rites were held. [3]
🗳️ Supreme Court Allows CBI to Continue Probe into Ranchi ED Officers
The Supreme Court of India declined to stay a Jharkhand High Court order that had transferred the investigation of a First Information Report against Enforcement Directorate officials in Ranchi to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Supreme Court dismissed the state government's petition seeking that stay. The ruling drew celebration from Jharkhand's teaching community, which viewed the decision as a form of justice ahead of the upcoming festival season of Durga Puja, Deepawali, Chhath and Christmas. Teachers were reported to be cheered by the outcome, as it allowed them to approach the festival period without the cloud of this legal dispute. The case had originated from an FIR registered against ED officials in Ranchi following a complaint by Santosh Kumar, an employee of Jharkhand's Drinking Water and Sanitation Department. Santosh Kumar is himself an accused in an alleged money-laundering case involving approximately 23 crore rupees. In his complaint, he raised allegations against the ED officials. The Jharkhand High Court, finding that investigation independence and the credibility of law-enforcement agencies were at stake, had ordered the investigation transferred to the CBI rather than leaving it with state police. The state government had challenged that High Court transfer order before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court's refusal to interfere allowed the CBI investigation into the Ranchi ED officials to proceed. [4]
Sources: [10] The New Indian Express · [3] ETV Bharat · [4] Jharkhand State News