Jharkhand: No interim relief for former CM Hemant Soren as Supreme Court list the matter for May 17

The Supreme Court (SC) on May 13, denied interim relief to former Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Hemant Soren in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

Hearing the petition of Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the case, a bench comprised of justice Dipankar Dutta and Sanjeev Khanna has listed the matter for May 17.

Appearing for Soren, senior advocate Kapil Sibbal earlier requested the bench for interim relief, citing the recent bail of Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, “My case is covered by Arvind Kejriwal and I need bail for election campaigning,” said Sibbal to the bench.

The bench, however, listed the matter for Friday after Soren’s council, Sibal, requested for an early date, citing that the election would be over if the court lists the matter for later. Earlier, the bench was listing the matter for May 20 to which Sibal pleaded that elections would be over if a long date is given into the matter.

The Justices also issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for its response on the matter on Friday while asserting that there is no assurance that the matter would be taken on Friday given that it would be the last working day before the summer recess and there would be other matters listed as well.

Notably, the apex court on May 10 also disposed of a petition of Soren seeking directives on the delay in pronouncing the verdict by Jharkhand’s high court

A bench of Justices Dipankar Dutta and Sanjiv Khanna disposed of Soren’s petition challenging arrest by ED after Jharkhand’s High Court delivered its verdict on the same on May 3. The bench said the petition has become infructuous.

Soren had moved to the SC seeking directives in the High Court’s delay in pronouncing the judgement in connection with the case to which the Supreme Court on April 29 issued notices while stating that it would be open to the HC to deliver the verdict before the next hearing of the matter.

On May 3, the Jharkhand High Court dismissed Soren’s petition challenging his arrest by the ED. The High Court had earlier reserved its verdict on February 28 of this year. Following the verdict, Soren had filed a fresh Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the SC, challenging the HC’s order.

Soren was arrested by the ED in connection with the money laundering case linked to alleged land scam on January 31 this year. The ED has alleged that huge amount of proceed from crime were generated through manipulation of official records involving fictitious transactions and forged documents to acquire valuable lands worth crores of rupees in the said scam.

Earlier, the ED had also summoned Soren in connection with a case linked to illegal stone mining at Nimbu Pahadi of Sahibganj, in which proceed of crime worth Rs1000 crore were illegally generated, as claimed by the ED. It is to be noted that Soren is currently lodging at the Birsa Munda, Hotwar Jail in judicial custody.