Former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Hemant Soren told the Supreme Court on Friday that he has nothing to do with the land in question being projected as a proceed of crime by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) as his plea against arrest by ED was posted for hearing on May 21, 2024.
A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta posted the matter for hearing on Tuesday – May 21, 2024, as Additional Solicitor General S V Raju told the bench that he was not ready to argue the matter and that reply to Soren’s plea against arrest has to be filed by the ED.
Sibal recalled that when they had earlier approached the top court, the ED had responded to it overnight. He said in the instant case, they had served the copy of the Soren’s petition on the ED on May 6 itself when they approached the top court.
In reply to a question from the bench, Sibal, seeking the release of Soren on bail – on the lines of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – said that the election in Jharkhand is in three phases and after the conclusion of election on June 1, Hemant Soren will be back in the jail on June 2, 2024 – a condition that the court has imposed on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who has been released on 21 days bail to campaign in the remaining phases of election including in Delhi and Punjab.
Recalling Sibal’s statement before the top court on May 13 that Soren does not own the land that the ED was describing as a proceed of crime and attributing to the former chief minister, Justice Khanna said they have seen reports stating that the land in question belonged to the Hemant Soren. He pointed to the boundary wall around the land in question and referred to diary entries.
As ASGB Raju referred to certain material relating to the land in question, Sibal asked him to produce it and he would respond to it right away.
The bench told Sibal that they cannot hold hearing on Soren’s bail plea as ASG Raju is saying that he is not prepared to argue the case and posted the matter for hearing on May 21, 2024, by a vacation bench.
The top court on May 13, 2024, sought ED’s response by May 17, 2024, on Hemant Soren’s plea challenging his arrest in an alleged money laundering case relating to an alleged land scam case.
In the last hearing on May 13, in response to a question from the bench, Kapil Sibal said, “I (Soren) have never been (in possession of land). I have nothing to do with the land. If they say I forcibly took the possession (of land), (then) it is not even a scheduled offence” and it is not covered under the provisions of the PMLA.
The Jharkhand High Court had reserved its order on February 28 and it was pronounced on May 3, after Soren approached the top court seeking direction to the High court to deliver judgment. The High Court had rejected his plea against ED.
The former jharkhand chief minister had approached the Supreme Court on May 6, against Jharkhand High Court order dismissing his plea challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in an alleged money laundering case.