The Supreme Court disposed of a plea filed by former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Friday, seeking a directive to the high court to deliver its verdict on his petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta observed that the petition had become infructuous as the high court had delivered its judgment on May 3, and Soren had already challenged it in the apex court.
Interim Bail for Elections Campaign
The former chief minister had also sought interim bail for campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections until the high court delivered its verdict on his plea against arrest.
“This has become infructuous,” the bench informed senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Arunabh Chowdhury, representing Soren. Sibal stated that Soren’s special leave petition (SLP) challenging last week’s verdict of the high court was scheduled for hearing before the top court on May 13. He requested that both petitions be heard together on May 13.
However, the bench indicated that Soren’s counsel could raise all contentions in the SLP, which would be heard on May 13. “Forget that he is a former chief minister. I (Soren) have a right as a citizen to be dealt with fairly by the high court,” Sibal argued. “You have challenged the high court order in another petition. You argue there,” the bench responded, disposing of his plea.
On April 29, the apex court had stated that it would be open for the high court to pronounce its verdict on Soren’s plea challenging his arrest in the case.
The high court reserved its order on February 28.
ED Investigation
In this matter, the Enforcement Directorate is investigating the alleged “huge amounts of proceeds of crime generated by manipulation of official records by showing dummy sellers and purchasers in the guise of forged/bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores”.
In his plea filed through advocate Pragya Baghel, Soren stated, “There has been a pattern that has emerged and it is reflected in the actions of the ED for prosecuting and targeting individuals, especially political leaders belonging to the opposition, on the basis of ‘cooked-up allegations’.” His plea further noted, “Knowing that the elections are around the corner and with a malafide intent of paralysing the leaders of opposition political parties, of which Hemant Soren being the leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was arrested on January 31, 2024.”
Soren was arrested on January 31 in the case after resigning as Jharkhand chief minister, and party loyalist and state transport minister Champai Soren was named as his successor.
