ED Moves Jharkhand HC Against FIR Under SC/ST Act In Hemant Soren's Harassment Case

ED moved Jharkhand HC challenging the FIR against its officials based on a complaint by Hemant Soren alleging harassment under the  Scheduled Tribe/ Scheduled Caste ( Prevention of Atrocities) Act

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved the Jharkhand High Court challenging the First Information Report (FIR) filed against its officials based on a complaint by JMM chief and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren alleging "harassment" by officers under the  Scheduled Tribe/ Scheduled Caste ( Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989

According to ANI, the investigative agency filed a petition in the high court on Saturday (February 3), after a complaint was filed by Soren in a SC/ST police station in Ranchi.

The Jharkhand High Court will hear Soren's petition against his arrest by the ED on Monday.

Supreme Court on Friday asked Soren to approach the Jharkhand High Court first and refused to entertain his petition against the arrest by the ED in relation to an alleged money laundering scam.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, told the top court on Friday that the matter pertains to a chief minister who has been arrested. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, also appearing for Soren, said that the court has concurrent powers to hear the case.

However, the top court said that high courts are constitutional courts too and Soren must first approach before the high court.

Soren was arrested on January 31 in an alleged money laundering case. ED has claimed that it recovered cash worth more than Rs 36 lakhs and documents pertaining to the illegal possession and occupation of at least 12 land parcels by ex-Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) head Hemant Soren in its searches in the alleged money laundering case.

The ED has said that it has found that Soren was actually and knowingly involved in process and activities connected with the acquisition, concealment, possession, and use of proceeds of crime and projecting the said proceeds of crime as untainted property.

The ED has submitted that Soren was found to be guilty under Section 3 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was liable to be arrested under Section 19 of the money laundering act, the ED has submitted in court.

ED has said that the 8.5 acre land parcels are part of criminal proceeds as Soren illegally acquired and occupied them.