Supreme Court to Hear ED's Plea Against Bail Granted to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

The Supreme Court is set to review the Enforcement Directorate's challenge against the Jharkhand High Court's decision to grant bail to Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case. Soren, who was arrested in connection to an alleged land scam, resumed his chief ministerial role on July 4 after being released on bail.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an Enforcement Directorate plea 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 on July 29.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan will examine the federal agency's plea against the high court's June 28 order.

Soren, the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had resigned as chief minister before being arrested by the ED on January 31. He was later released on bail and assumed the office of chief minister again on July 4.

During the high court hearing, the ED's counsel warned that Soren's release could lead to similar offenses and cited cases involving ED officers in the SC/ST police station as examples.

The high court ruled that, despite allegations against Soren, there was no evidence suggesting he would commit a similar offense again.

The court's single-bench order stated that the findings met the conditions of section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, indicating there was reason to believe that Soren was not guilty as alleged.

Soren's lawyer maintained that he was falsely implicated by the central agency.

The ED, opposing Soren's bail plea, alleged that he had misused his position to unlawfully acquire land and instructed his media consultant to manipulate records.

The agency also claimed that the original landowner's complaint was ignored.

Soren was summoned multiple times by the ED before his arrest on January 31.

(With inputs from agencies.)