May 10th 2024.
New Delhi: On Friday, the Supreme Court addressed a plea submitted by former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. Soren was seeking a directive to the high court to make a decision on his petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
The bench, consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, noted that the plea had become irrelevant as the high court had delivered its judgement on May 3. Soren had already challenged the judgement in the apex court. Additionally, Soren had also requested for interim bail so he could campaign for the Lok Sabha elections until the high court's decision on his arrest.
The bench informed senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Arunabh Chowdhury, who were representing Soren, that his plea had become irrelevant. Sibal stated that Soren's special leave petition, challenging the previous week's judgement of the high court, was scheduled for a hearing on May 13 in the top court. He requested for both petitions to be heard together on that date.
However, the bench clarified that Soren's counsel could present all arguments in the special leave petition, which would be heard on May 13. Sibal emphasized that Soren's rights as a citizen should be respected and he should be treated fairly by the high court. The bench advised him to argue his case in the petition challenging the high court's order.
On April 29, the apex court had stated that the high court was free to deliver its judgement on Soren's plea challenging his arrest in the case. The high court had reserved its decision on February 28. The Enforcement Directorate was investigating the alleged case of "huge amounts of proceeds of crime" generated through manipulation of official records, using forged documents to acquire valuable land parcels worth crores.
In his plea, filed through advocate Pragya Baghel, Soren mentioned a pattern of targeting opposition leaders in these types of cases. He claimed that the allegations against him were fabricated and politically motivated, especially with the upcoming elections. Soren, who is the leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, was arrested on January 31, 2024, after he resigned as chief minister. His loyalist and state transport minister Champai Soren was named as his successor.
PTI (Press Trust of India) also reported on this matter.
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