Supreme Court Issues Notice to ED in Hemant Soren Money Laundering Case, Hearing Set for May 17
On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s petition challenging his arrest in a money laundering case [Hemant Soren v. Directorate of Enforcement and Anr].
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta set Soren’s plea for hearing on May 17, after Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal pressed for an urgent hearing citing the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Despite Sibal’s insistence, the Court initially considered listing the matter in July or during the summer recess. Sibal, expressing disappointment, even suggested dismissing Soren’s plea, citing the conclusion of the elections and referring to a recent order granting interim bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a similar case.
Also read: Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Moves Supreme Court Over ED Arrest; Urges Expedited Hearing
Sibal proposed interim bail for Soren if the Court deferred hearing until July. However, the Court refused without hearing the ED, as per procedural requirements. Sibal alleged that the ED was purposefully avoiding participation. Amidst the discussion, Sibal even floated the idea of withdrawing Soren’s plea, which Justice Khanna dismissed, stating they were offering the shortest possible timeline.
Ultimately, the Court agreed to hear the matter on May 17, though Justice Khanna remarked it might not be possible to do so on that day. Sibal, on a lighter note, commented on the Court’s skepticism, to which Justice Khanna humorously responded.
The Supreme Court was reviewing Soren’s petition challenging the Jharkhand High Court’s dismissal of his plea against arrest. Soren resigned as Chief Minister on January 31 following his ED arrest for alleged involvement in the “illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand.
During the hearing, Justice Khanna inquired about Soren’s possession of the land in question, to which Sibal responded that Soren had never possessed it and disputed the relevance of the alleged offense. However, the Court noted that statements from various parties indicated otherwise.
The ED had filed a prosecution complaint in 2016 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Soren, among others, in connection with the case. Soren has refuted the money laundering allegations, claiming his arrest was based on falsified documents as part of a conspiracy.
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