The year started with signs of political instability as JMM supremo Shibu Soren had to step down after failing to enter the state assembly, drubbed by a relative greenhorn in politics.
The arrest of ex-chief minister Madhu Koda on corruption charges and the brutal beheading of a police officer by Maoists rocked Jharkhand in 2009, a year which also saw the state going under president's Rule and assembly elections that threw a hung verdict.
The year started with signs of political instability as JMM supremo Shibu Soren had to step down after failing to enter the state assembly, drubbed by a relative greenhorn in politics in the January 3 Tamar bypoll.
Jharkhand came under president's Rule as no combination came forward to stake claim for the formation of a fifth government in as many years.
Assembly elections were held towards the end of the year but the state again returned a fractured verdict in which JMM appeared to be holding the key to the new government. The Congress-JVM(P) alliance emerged the single largest group.
The state also had to face Maoist onslaught throughout the year. Naxalites kidnapped and beheaded Special Branch Inspector Francis Induwar in October, triggering a nationwide outrage and prompting the Centre to promise tougher actions to combat the growing threat to internal security.
Koda's arrest for his alleged involvement in a Rs2,000-crore money laundering scam grabbed national headlines. A countrywide search by Income Tax sleuths at the residences of his aides unearthed the scam.
After defying summons from enforcement directorate, Vigilance and IT departments, Koda was finally arrested by the state Vigilance Bureau from Chaibasa on November 30 when he was venturing out to address a poll meeting. He was sent to judicial custody by a special vigilance court in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
Three of his ex-cabinet colleagues -- Kamlesh Singh, Enos Ekka and Harinarayan Rai -- were also sent to judicial custody in separate DA cases during the year. The Enforcement Directorate has filed cases against Koda and some of his ex-ministers and aides charging them with money laundering and illegal investments.
The Income Tax department also conducted raids on Koda's residence and several of his aides in connection with tax evasion while the state Vigilance Bureau has been probing DA cases against half of Koda's former cabinet ministers.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad said Koda had become chief minister only after all UPA allies supported the independent MLA to shut out "communal" BJP. The Congress, however, claimed that Koda was replaced by Soren as chief minister in August 2008 as the party had "zero tolerance on corruption".
Corruption issues dogged the year with the CBI booking two IAS officers on graft charges. One of them had been the Officer-on-Special Duty to the then governor Syed Sibtey Razi.
Among a bunch of PILs against former ministers accusing them of corruption during their tenure, the Jharkhand High Court also admitted one against former chief minister Arjun Munda and served him a notice.
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