In a major development, Jharkhand High Court has granted bail to former Chief Minister, Hemant Soren in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged land scam case.
The court pronounced its verdict a fortnight after it reserved its decision following hearing arguments of both parties on Soren’s bail plea on June 13. Soren had approached the High Court with the bail plea following his withdrawal of a petition from the Supreme Court on May 22 seeking interim relief.
Earlier Soren’s council Kapil Sibal during the hearing had pleaded that his client was falsely implicated in the case and the claims made in the case do not constitute an offence under the PMLA for which his client is in jail.
Sibal further highlighted that even if the allegations against his client, Soren were true they would constitute a civil issue of forcible eviction not a criminal matter.
#WATCH | Sweets being distributed at the residence of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi after he was granted bail by Jharkhand High Court in land scam case. pic.twitter.com/20FuAbk9rS
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024
However, appearing for Enforcement Directorate (ED), additional solicitor general SV Raju had opposed the bail soughed by Soren’s council, Sibal citing that the agency has conducted independent surveys of the land in question and the caretaker had informed them that the land belongs to Hemant Soren.
Raju had further disclosed that the ED has recovered several documents indicating that the land records were manipulated in favor of the Soren with the help of government employees who were helpful towards Soren.
Notably in the petition moved before the High Court on May 22 Soren had urged for an immediate hearing on the matter and claimed that ED was relying solely on the statements from individuals that the 8.5 acres of land in the Bargain circle belongs to him.
The fresh petition before the High Court was filed after the Supreme Court (SC) earlier refused to entertain Soren’s petition seeking interim relief in the same case on May 22.
A bench of justices Dipankar Dutta and Satish Chandra Sharma on May 22 had pulled up Soren for not disclosing about a cognizance taken by a Jharkhand’s trial court in April this year.
The SC’s bench during the hearing had stated that it does not approach writ petitions when aware that another forum has been approached already, while asking Sibal that whether he wants to withdraw his petition or like to be dismissed to which the latter agreed to withdraw.
Read more at: Jharkhand High Court seeks ED’s reply on former CM Hemant Soren’s fresh bail petition
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.
Prior to his arrest Soren had tendered his resignation following which senior leader of the party, Champai Soren was sworn-in as his replacement. In his absence Hemant’s wife, Kalpana Soren has also been elected from the Gandey assembly seats in the by polls held during the Lok Sabha elections recently.
It must be noted that the state of Jharkhand is all set to hold assembly elections in the later part of the year where a tight contest is expected between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led coalition and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
