ED moves Supreme Court challenging bail to Hemant Soren in money-laundering case

New Delhi, July 8

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Jharkhand High Court’s order granting bail to JMM leader Hemant Soren in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

The high court had on June 28 granted bail to Soren, who on July 4 took oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

Soren, the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had resigned as Chief Minister shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the ED in the case.

Earlier, during the hearing in the high court, ED’s counsel had argued that if Soren was released on bail, he might commit a similar offence and referred to cases against ED officers in the SC/ST police station.

“Though the conduct of the petitioner has been sought to be highlighted by the Enforcement Directorate on account of the First Information Report instituted by the petitioner against the officials of the ED, but on an overall conspectus of the case, there is no likelihood of the petitioner committing a similar nature of offence,” the high court had said.

The single bench order had also mentioned that the consequence of the findings recorded by the court “satisfies the condition as at section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 to the effect that there is reason to believe that the petitioner is not guilty of the offence as alleged”.

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