Relief for Hemant Soren as SC junks ED's appeal against HC's order granting him bail

SC's relief for Hemant Soren

The Supreme Court on July 29 dismissed Enforcement Directorate's plea against the order of Jharkhand High Court granting bail to JMM leader and Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

A bench of justices Gavai and Viswanathan held that the HC's order was 'very well reasoned' however, the top court directed the trial court to decide the case without being influenced by the order of the high court.

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.

Soren (48), the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was arrested by the ED on January 31 from the Jharkhand Raj Bhavan in Ranchi, just after he resigned as the chief minister.
The money-laundering case against Soren pertains to his "illegally" acquiring an 8.86-acre land in Ranchi with the help of state government officials and others.

A chargesheet was filed by the ED against Soren and some others on March 30 before a special PMLA court in Ranchi.

The ED has also attached the Ranchi land and requested the court for its confiscation.