On Monday, the Supreme Court is scheduled to review the special leave petition submitted by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. This petition challenges the dismissal of his writ petition by the Jharkhand High Court, concerning his arrest in connection to an alleged money laundering case linked to a land scam.
According to the cause list published on the apex court’s website, a panel comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will address the matter on May 13. It’s worth noting that this same panel had recently granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a case related to excise policy, extending it until June 1.
Last Friday, the Supreme Court resolved a separate plea by Soren, requesting his release amidst ongoing elections. The court deemed this plea unnecessary in light of the Jharkhand High Court’s order on May 3, which dismissed his appeal against arrest.
Previously, the Supreme Court had served a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding Soren’s plea for interim bail. This plea was based on the delay in judgment delivery by the Jharkhand High Court, despite reserving an order on his petition challenging the ED’s arrest in late February.
Following the Supreme Court’s notice, the Jharkhand High Court delivered its decision, rejecting Soren’s plea. The court cited an abundance of evidence supporting the petitioner’s arrest and remand to police and judicial custody. Notably, Hemant Soren resigned from the Chief Minister’s post on January 31, after being informed of his impending arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the ED.