Supreme Court to hear ED plea against bail to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

Mail News Service

Ranchi, July 27: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 29 an Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea challenging the Jharkhand High Court’s order granting bail to Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan will hear the federal agency’s plea against the June 28 High Court order.

Soren, the Executive President of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had resigned as Chief Minister shortly before the ED arrested him on January 31. After being released on bail, he took oath again as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on July 4.

During the High Court hearing, the ED’s counsel argued that Soren might commit a similar offense if released on bail, referencing cases against ED officers in the SC/ST police station. However, the High Court found no likelihood of Soren committing a similar offense, noting that the case’s overall context did not support such a conclusion. The Court’s findings also indicated that there was reason to believe that Soren was not guilty as alleged, satisfying the condition under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Soren’s lawyer argued that he was falsely implicated by the central agency. The ED, opposing the bail plea, alleged that Soren misused his position to unlawfully acquire 8.86 acres of land in the Bargain area of the state capital. The agency claimed that Soren’s media consultant, Abhishek Prasad, admitted that Soren had instructed him to manipulate official records to change the ownership details of the plot. The original owner, Raj Kumar Pahan, had reportedly tried to lodge a complaint when his land was usurped, but it was not done.

Soren had been summoned multiple times by the ED before being questioned at his residence and subsequently arrested on January 31.