Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Gets Bail In Land Scam Case

Hemant Soren, former Jharkhand CM, has been granted bail by the high court in a land scam case. The ED arrested him on January 31 this year for alleged corruption, stemming from the land scam.

Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren has been granted bail in the land scam case.

Source : PTI Images

Hemant Soren Bail News: Jharkhand High Court on Friday granted bail to ​​former Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the land scam case. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha president was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 this year.

Hemant Soren was declared "untraceable" for 30 hours before his arrest. He resigned minutes before his arrest at his Ranchi residence. Soren was arrested under provisions of the  Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Section 19 of the PMLA gives ED the power to arrest an individual. At present, Soren is lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi. 

According to news agency PTI, the court, while granting the bail, said prima facie no offence could be made out to prove him guilty. It also said that no possibility of Soren committing a similar offence while on bail seemed imminent.

What Was The ED Case Against Hemant Soren?

Hemant Soren allegedly forcefully occupied 8.5 acres of land in Jharkhand in cahoots with a revenue sub-inspector in Ranchi. The ED reportedly found evidence in the case while investigating a number of irregularities in several land-grabbing allegations. The ED accused revenue sub-inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad of working hand in gloves with Soren and others to usurp properties by forging documents.

ED registered an FIR in the matter in June last year, based on which Soren was arrested.

The ED said Prasad verified the illegal acquisition of plots, totalling an area of 8.5 acres in Ranchi's Bargain on instructions from the CM, reported The Indian Express. The ED's survey confirmed that Soren had illegally acquired the land parcels, the central agency claimed. Although Hemant Soren's name is not registered on papers of the land parcels, the ED says illegal possession of land is a crime under PMLA.

What Does Hemant Soren Say?

According to news agency IANS, while presenting arguments on behalf of Hemant Soren during the hearing on the bail plea, senior Supreme Court advocates Kapil Sibal and Meenakshi Arora had said that the land is of "bhuinhari" nature under the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and it cannot be sold or transferred to any person under any circumstances. The lease of this land is in the name of Rajkumar Pahan. Hemant Soren has no connection with this.

Hemant Soren resigned from the post of Chief Minister while in ED custody and handed over the reins to his close aide Champai Soren. Since then, his wife Kalpana Soren has been looking after the party's work. Now, Hemant Soren getting bail before the assembly elections in Jharkhand is a big relief for the party.