The Supreme Court declined to entertain the appeal lodged by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who had sought interim release to partake in campaign activities amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Presided over by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the Bench heard Soren's plea contesting his apprehension in connection to a money laundering case associated with an alleged land scandal. However, the Bench, also consisting of Justice Dipankar Datta, instructed the central anti-money laundering agency to present its response, including any provisional relief, by Monday (May 20).
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Soren, highlighted that the polling in Jharkhand had commenced on May 13, with the remaining phases scheduled for May 20, May 25, and June 1. Sibal emphasized that there was insufficient evidence against the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, asserting that the money laundering allegations rested solely on verbal assertions claiming the land in question belonged to the former Chief Minister.
"I have neither owned nor occupied any such land," he affirmed.Contrarily, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), contended that Soren was directly implicated and thus ineligible for interim bail, as his arrest occurred prior to the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule. ASG Raju indicated that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would require time to respond to Soren's plea. Acknowledging this, the apex court directed the matter to be reconsidered on May 21 before the vacation bench.
Hemant Soren relinquished the chief ministerial position on January 31, subsequent to being informed by the ED of his imminent arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In a ruling issued on May 3, the Jharkhand High Court dismissed Soren's writ petition challenging his detention by the ED, citing an array of documents supporting the rationale for his arrest and subsequent remand into police and judicial custody.
