The Supreme Court on Friday refused to give interim relief to the former Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren for the purpose of campaigning in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Hearing Soren’s petition challenging the High Court dismissal of his petition in connection with a case linked to alleged land grab, a bench of the justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Dutta has listed the matter for hearing on May 21.
While replying to Soren’s council, Sibal, the bench stated that an interim relief would require the former Chief Minister to satisfy the court that the land claimed by the ED to be proceed of crime did not belong to him.
Unless the bench is prima facie satisfied no order can be passed, said the bench while pointing out that they (prosecution) have the statement of a person who was found in the land. There are boundary walls, they also have photographs.
Further the court listed the matter before a vacation court after ED’s council Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju sought for time. During the hearing Raju also submitted that Soren was arrested in January this year and his regular bail petitions were dismissed by the court.
It must be noted that the apex court on May 13 had listed the matter for hearing on May 17. Citing the recent bail of Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Soren’s council Sibal on Monday had requested the bench for a similar interim relief, “My case is covered by Arvind Kejriwal and I need bail for election campaigning,” said Sibal to the bench.
The bench, however, listed the matter for Friday after refusing interim relief to Soren. The bench was initially listing the matter for May 20 however Sibal pleaded that elections would be over if a long date is given into the matter following which the justices listed the matter for Friday while issuing notice to the ED for its response on the matter.
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. 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. He is currently lodged in Hotwar jail in judicial custody.
