The Supreme Court on Monday heard Former Chief Minister and JMM head Hemant Soren petition against the high court order rejecting his bail petition and asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a response till May 17. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal pleaded for an early hearing or an interim bail and said that Arvind Kejriwal's order applies to them also. The court however said that they can't issue an order without hearing the case and asked ED to file a response by May 17.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna at the outset asked Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, if Hemant Soren was in possession of the land. Sibal refuted the claims and said Soren has nothing to do with the land.
"I have never accepted possession..they just got a person to say 'this is Mantri ji's land'...I have never been in possession I know nothing about it..." Sibal said, appearing for Soren.
He further urged the court to grant interim bail for the ongoing elections. However, the court said it can't do that without hearing the case.
"Look at the way we have been dealt with in the high court. It is not our fault that you asked us to go to the high court first!" Sibal said.
Sibal further accused the ED of delaying the case and purposefully not appearing despite being served advance notice on May 6.
The court said that it can only hear the matter on March 20. However, Sibal insisted for an earlier hearing and said elections will be over by then.
Sibal further stressed that the Jharkhand High Court delayed the pronouncement of the judgment, despite concluding the arguments on February 28, as it was delivered only on May 3.
Soren moved the top court after the High Court kept the order reserved. Following the top court's notice to ED on the case, the high court passed a verdict rejecting Soren's plea against ED arrest. Soren's earlier plea in the top court became infructuous. He had to file a fres plea in top court against that Supreme Court order. Today the fresh plea was taken up by the top court.
The bench headed by Sanjiv Khanna today asked ED to file a response and said it will list the matter on May 20.
However, Sibal said that the top court then may dismiss the plea as the elections will be over. After Sibal's constant insistence the top court listed the matter for May 17.