Ranchi, Dec 16 The Jharkhand High Court on Monday granted relief to Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a case related to his alleged non-compliance with Enforcement Directorate (ED) summonses.
During the hearing, the court extended the exemption from Soren’s personal appearance in the MP-MLA Special Court of Ranchi until January 16, 2025
Previously, the bench of Justice Anil Kumar Chaudhary had issued a notice to the ED and directed the agency to file a reply. As the ED had not submitted its response so far, the court, granting the agency another opportunity, scheduled the next hearing for January 16, 2025.
The case originates from a complaint filed by the ED on February 19, 2024, in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (CJM) court, accusing Soren of violating Sections 63 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the complaint, the ED issued ten summonses to Soren for questioning regarding a land scam linked to the Bargain Zone of Ranchi. Soren appeared in response to only two summonses, which the ED claimed constituted non-compliance under the law.
The CJM court took cognisance of the complaint on March 4, 2024, and subsequently transferred the matter to the MP-MLA Special Court.
On July 5, 2024, Soren filed a petition requesting an exemption from personal appearance in hearings related to the ED’s allegations of contempt of summons. This petition was rejected by Judge Sarthak Sharma of the MP-MLA Special Court.
On November 25, 2024, the MP-MLA Special Court again rejected Soren’s plea for exemption and directed him to appear before the ED on December 4, 2024.
Soren then approached the Jharkhand High Court, where his legal team, comprising advocates Piyush Chitresh, Dipankar Roy, and Shrey Mishra, argued in favour of granting relief.
The ED’s investigation pertains to alleged irregularities in land dealings within Ranchi’s Bargain Zone.
Several summonses were sent to Soren on August 19, September 1, September 17, September 26, December 11, and December 29 in 2023, followed by January 13, January 22, and January 27 in 2024. Soren was interrogated following the tenth summons on January 31, 2024.
Soren appeared in response to only two of these summonses. He was eventually questioned on January 31, 2024, and subsequently arrested and sent to jail.
The High Court’s order provides interim relief to Soren, allowing him to remain exempt from personal court appearances until mid-January 2024.
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