The Supreme Court has provided significant relief to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by refusing to interfere with the High Court's bail decision. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a petition challenging the bail granted by the Jharkhand High Court, but the top court dismissed the petition. In a notable decision, the Supreme Court stated that the High Court's order was well-founded and that it did not wish to interfere with it. The apex court also emphasised that the High Court's remarks would not impact the ongoing trial in any manner.
During the hearing, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said the high court's June 28 order was "very well reasoned". "We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order," the bench said. Opposing Soren's bail plea in the high court, the ED had alleged that he misused his position as the chief minister to "unlawfully" acquire 8.86 acres of land in the Bargain area in the state capital Ranchi.
What did the ED claim?
Soren's lawyer had contended that he was falsely implicated in the criminal case by the central agency. The ED had claimed that during the probe, Soren's media consultant Abhishek Prasad admitted that the JMM leader had instructed him to manipulate official records to change the ownership details of the plot.
Soren returns as CM of Jharkhand
It should be mentioned here that Soren had resigned as Chief Minister shortly before the ED arrested him on January 31 in the case. He was summoned multiple times by the ED before he was questioned at his residence and subsequently arrested on January 31. After coming out of jail on bail in the case, he returned as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on July 4. It is said that Soren's return as CM will bolster the JMM, which won three seats in the tribal-dominated state of Jharkhand in the Lok Sabha elections.
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