New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to entertain the petition filed by former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, challenging his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a land scam case.
A bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, during today’s proceedings, directed Soren’s legal representatives to approach the high court with their plea. Justice Khanna clarified that the bench, including another judge, had previously directed the petitioner to seek recourse in the high court.
Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Hemant Soren, argued that the Supreme Court has concurrent jurisdiction in the matter and asserted that the arrest was unnecessary. Kapil Sibal, another senior advocate, emphasized that they had previously contested the constitutionality of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the high court.
The Jharkhand High Court is scheduled to hear Hemant Soren’s case on February 5. Notably, the state government had filed a motion to withdraw its earlier petition, a move that was strongly opposed by Additional Solicitor General Anil Kumar.
In a parallel development, the ED court granted permission today for five days of questioning in connection with the land scam case involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The ED had initially sought a 10-day remand to question Soren under arrest, aiming to ascertain the source of proceeds of crime and identify any other individuals involved in the case.
