Supreme Court to take up ED plea challenging Hemant Soren’s bail today

New Delhi, July 28

The Supreme Court will hear on Monday the Enforcement Directorate’s petition 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.

The ED’s petition against the June 28 Jharkhand High Court order will be taken up for hearing by a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai on Monday.

The JMM executive president had resigned as the CM shortly before the ED arrested him on January 31 in the case. After coming out of jail on bail in the case, he took oath as the Jharkhand CM again on July 4. The ED’s counsel had contended before the high court that if Soren was released on bail, he might commit a similar offence. He also referred to cases against ED officers at the SC/ST police station.

Jharkhand cm acquired land ‘unlawfully’

• The ED alleged that Hemant Soren misused his position to unlawfully acquire 8.86 acres in Ranchi
• The agency claimed that during probe, Soren’s media consultant admitted that he had instructed him to manipulate official records to change the ownership details of the plot

“Though the conduct of the petitioner has been sought to be highlighted by the ED on account of a first information report instituted by the petitioner against the officials of the ED, 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 HC said the consequence of the findings recorded by the court “satisfies the condition in 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”.

The ED had alleged that he misused his position to “unlawfully” acquire 8.86 acres in the Bargain area in the state capital. The agency had claimed that during the probe, Soren’s media consultant Abhishek Prasad admitted that the JMM leader instructed him to manipulate official records to change the ownership details of the plot.

The ED had also claimed that the original owner of the land, Raj Kumar Pahan, had tried to lodge a complaint when his land was usurped, but it was never acted upon.