Jharkhand HC Quashes 2014 Model Code of Conduct FIR Against CM Hemant Soren

Ranchi (IANS): Chief Minister Hemant Soren received major legal relief when the Jharkhand High Court quashed an FIR against him. The decade-old case alleged that Soren violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the 2014 Assembly elections.

The court’s order effectively terminates all judicial proceedings against the Chief Minister in this matter.

The Court’s Ruling

Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary passed the order after his Bench heard arguments from all parties. In allowing the Chief Minister’s criminal writ petition, the court examined the documents, records, and legal arguments that both the state government and the petitioner presented.

Ultimately, the court concluded that the state lacked sufficient grounds to sustain the case and ordered the quashing of the FIR. Advocate Pradeep Chandra represented the Chief Minister during the proceedings.

Background of the Case

The case dates back to the 2014 Jharkhand Assembly polls. At the time, authorities lodged FIR Case No. 418/2014 against Hemant Soren at the Adityapur police station in the Seraikela-Kharsawan district, accusing him of violating election rules.

Soren subsequently approached the High Court to challenge the FIR. He termed the case legally unsustainable and sought its dismissal.

While the matter remained pending before the High Court for several years, the court previously granted an interim stay on the lower court’s proceedings before holding regular hearings on the main petition.

During the hearings, Hemant Soren’s counsel contended that the Chief Minister had not violated the Model Code of Conduct. The defence argued that authorities filed the FIR purely out of political vendetta, submitting that Soren had merely participated in a standard election campaign for a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate.