Money laundering case: Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday filed a writ petition in the Jharkhand High Court against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons in connection with a money laundering case.
"Soren filed the petition in the high court challenging the issuance of summons to him by the ED," said Soren's counsel Piyush Chitresh.
SC refuses to entertain Hemant Soren's plea
Earlier on September 18, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain Soren's plea against the ED's summons in a case of alleged money laundering. Following the top court’s direction, Soren withdrew his plea. A bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Bela M Trivedi granted Soren the liberty to approach the Jharkhand High Court for relief in the matter.
Soren had filed a petition in the top court challenging the summons issued to him and alleged that the case was a clear “abuse of law” by the Centre and an attempt to destabilize his democratically elected government.
The central agency has asked him to appear on September 23.
ED summoned Soren
He was earlier summoned by the ED in mid-August in connection with the land scam case. However, he skipped the probe stating that he was busy with the Independence Day celebration preparation in Jharkhand. Soren was again asked to appear on August 24 and September 9, however, he did not appear before the probe agency.
The ED has arrested Soren's political aide Pankaj Mishra and two others — local muscleman Bachhu Yadav and Prem Prakash — in this case. The agency has said it has "identified" proceeds of crime relating to illegal mining in the state to the tune of more than Rs 1,000 crore till now.
ED on November 17 last year had interrogated Soren over nine hours by the ED in connection with another money-laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state.
The central probe agency is investigating more than a dozen land deals, including one related to defence land, wherein a group of mafia, middlemen and bureaucrats allegedly connived to forge deeds and documents of as long back as 1932.
