The Special PMLA court in Ranchi on Wednesday granted a five-day extension to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand custody for ex-Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
The Advocate General who appeared for former Jharkhand CM told reporters, "The ED had sought a 7-day remand, which we have objected vehemently, saying that no further remand is required because he (Hemant Soren) has already been interrogated for 8 hours on Jan 20, another 8 hours on Jan 31. Apart from that, he has already been interrogated for 120 hours in these five days; so there is no case of any further remand".
Earlier on Monday, the Jharkhand High Court adjourned the hearing of Soren’s petition challenging his arrest by the ED till February 12.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Rajesh Kumar directed the central agency to respond to Soren's petition by February 9.
"The next hearing on Hemant Soren's petition against the ED action will be on February 12," said the Advocate General, who represented the former chief minister.
Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31, shortly after resigning as chief minister, in a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam. He had challenged the agency's action in both the High Court and the Supreme Court.
On February 2, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case, directing him to approach the High Court.
A special PMLA court in Ranchi had previously remanded the JMM leader to ED custody for five days, beginning February 2.