The Supreme Court has adjourned the petition of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeking interim bail to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Soren’s bail plea will now be heard along with the petition challenging his arrest in a money laundering case, scheduled for hearing on Monday.
Mr. Soren, a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January in connection with a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam. He had approached the Supreme Court after the Jharkhand High Court rejected his application challenging his arrest and denied him bail.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Mr. Soren, highlighted the urgency of granting bail to allow the JMM leader to campaign for his party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand, which are set to commence on May 13.
“Hemant Soren was arrested on January 31. We moved the high court on February 4. The high court reserved the judgment on February 28 but did not deliver the judgment. The High Court kept the judgment pending for long,” Mr. Sibal stated, expressing concern over delays in the legal process.
Mr. Soren was taken into custody shortly after resigning as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He is currently held in judicial custody at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.
Sources By Agencies