The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Jharkhand High Court’s order that granted bail to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. The high court had issued the bail order on June 28, and Soren took oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on July 4.
The ED’s plea in the Supreme Court stated that the Jharkhand High Court’s bail to Soren was “illegal”, India Today reported. It further contended that the High Court had “erred” in maintaining that there was no prima facie case against CM Soren.
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Jharkhand High Court’s Bail To Hemant Soren
Hemant Soren, the executive president of JMM, had resigned as the chief minister shortly before his arrest by the ED on January 31 in connection with the case. The central agency had vehemently opposed Soren’s bail plea, contending that his release could lead to the commission of similar offences, news agency PTI reported. During the high court hearing, the ED’s counsel had argued that Soren might misuse his liberty, citing instances of cases against ED officers in the SC/ST police station.
However, the high court had dismissed these concerns. “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 court stated, as quoted by PTI. The single bench also noted that the findings satisfied the conditions under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, suggesting that there was reason to believe Soren was not guilty as alleged.
Soren’s legal defence strongly argued for his bail, asserting that he was falsely implicated by the central agency. In contrast, the ED alleged that Soren had misused his position as the chief minister to unlawfully acquire 8.86 acres of land in the Bargain area of the state capital. The agency claimed that during their investigation, Soren’s media consultant, Abhishek Prasad, admitted that the JMM leader had instructed him to manipulate official records to alter the ownership details of the plot.
Moreover, the ED highlighted that the original owner of the land, Raj Kumar Pahan, had attempted to file a complaint when his land was being usurped, but no action was taken. Soren had been summoned multiple times by the ED before being questioned at his residence and subsequently arrested on January 31.
