Jharkhand: Setback For Hemant Soren Ahead Of Oath-Taking As MP-MLA Court Rejects Exemption Plea In ED Case

An MP-MLA Special Court in Ranchi has rejected a petition filed by Hemant Soren seeking exemption from appearance in the ED case and has ordered him to appear personally on December 4.

In a major setback for Hemant Soren ahead of his oath-taking ceremony, the MP-MLA Special Court in Ranchi has rejected a plea filed by the JMM leader seeking exemption from personal appearance in the case related to the alleged non-compliance of summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate.

The ED had filed a petition before the chief judicial magistrate court saying Soren did not appear in eight out of ten summons issued by it in connection with a case over illegal occupation of 8.86 acres of land in Bargai circle, Ranchi. This case was later transferred to a special MP/MLA court. 

A petition was filed on Soren's behalf requesting exemption from personal appearance during the hearing in this case. However, the MP-MLA court rejected it and ordered him to appear in court personally on December 4. The petition was filed in the court on July 5. 

After hearing the arguments of both sides and hearing Soren's petition, Judge Sarthak Sharma of MP-MLA Special Court had reserved its order on November 11. Now the court has rejected it and ordered the petitioner (Soren) to personally appear in this matter next month.

The ED claimed that the Jharkhand Chief Minister had failed to comply with the ten summonses issued between August 2023 and January 2024, adding that he only appeared for two of them. The federal agency said that the matter constitites a violation under Section 63 of PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) and Section 174 of IPC.

The case was filed following a complaint by the ED in the Chief Judicial Magistrate court on February 19. The court took cognisance of the matter after hearing it on March 4. 

The first summon by the ED was sent to appear on 14 August 2023 in connection with the alleged land scam. Subsequently, summons were sent to him on August 19, September 1, September 17, September 26, December 11, December 29 in 2023 and January 13, January 22, and January 27 in 2024. Soren was interrogated after the tenth summons on 31 January, which led to his arrest.

Hemant Soren was granted bail after five months in jail on June 28. He contested the Jharkhand Assembly elections in November and won comfortably against the BJP, thereby becoming the Chief Minister of the state once again. He is set to take oath on November 28.