Hemant Soren walks out of Ranchi's Birsa Munda jail after being granted bail in land scam case

Hemant Soren, the former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chief, was released from jail today (June 28). The Jharkhand High Court has granted bail to Soren in the alleged land scam case on Friday. 

The order passed by the single bench of Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay said the petitioner is directed to be released on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the like amount each. The 48-year-old politician has been lodged in Birsa Munda jail.

JMM supporters raise slogans in favour of Hemant Soren

As Soren stepped out of the jail, a large number of JMM supporters cheered and raised slogans in favour of him. Soren's wife Kalpana Soren, a JMM legislator, thanked the judiciary and people for their support.

Soren, on his release from the jail, was seen waving at people and seeking blessings from his father and JMM supremo Shibu Soren. "Heman Soren was released from the jail after completion of legal formalities," the official said.

I was kept behind bars for 5 months: Soren 

On his bail, former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said, "I was kept behind bars for five months. We are seeing how the judicial process is taking years not just days or months. Today, it is a message for the whole country about how a conspiracy was hatched against us. The fight we started and the resolutions we made, we will work to fulfil them."

Kalpana Soren on bail of Hemant Soren

"Today, I think everyone wants to listen to what their leader (Hemant Soren) has to say. All of us were waiting for this moment for a long time. I want to thank the court. It is an emotional moment for all of us," said JMM leader Kalpana Soren on the release of her husband and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren on bail. 

When was Soren nabbed by ED?

In January, Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges related to an alleged land scam and money laundering. The investigation concerns the purported generation of substantial proceeds through the forgery of official records, involving fake sellers and buyers to acquire large parcels of land worth crores.

In related events, on March 22, a Special PMLA court extended Soren's judicial custody until April 4. Soren was presented via video conferencing. The Ranchi police had also issued a notice to ED officials to join the investigation following an FIR filed by Soren under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Jharkhand High Court had previously ordered no coercive action against ED officials after the agency filed a petition challenging Soren's FIR. Soren had alleged that the ED's searches at his residences were aimed at tarnishing his image and harassing him for being a tribal.

The ED had claimed to have recovered Rs 36 lakh in cash and documents related to the investigation, alleging that Soren had acquired 8.5 acres of land through fraudulent means. The investigation revealed that a syndicate, including Revenue Sub-Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad, was involved in corrupt property acquisitions.

Soren's petition to attend the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly's budget session was dismissed by the High Court on February 29. He had resigned as Chief Minister following his arrest in the money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. 

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