Jharkhand High court rejects Hemant Soren's criminal writ petition

Jharkhand former Chief Minister Hemant Soren's criminal writ petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate was dismissed by the High Court here on Friday.

The court had reserved the decision in the case on February 28.

Earlier, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Soren's plea seeking interim relief in a money laundering case.


A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta listed the matter for the second week of May to hear Soren's plea.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said that the Jharkhand High Court may pronounce the order in Soren's plea challenging his arrest in a money laundering case. Jharkhand High Court had reserved the order on Soren's plea on February 28.

Aggrieved by the High Court for not deciding his plea, Soren moved the top court against it and in the meantime sought interim bail in the matter.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, apprised that HC has not passed the order on Soren's plea challenging arrest and urged the top court for interim bail in the matter.

Earlier, Soren sought an urgent hearing on the grounds of the ongoing Lok Sabha poll.

In February, the High Court reserved its decision on Soren's plea challenging his arrest. Soren, in his plea, has claimed that his arrest was unwarranted and his remand in the matter was arbitrary and illegal.

Hemant Soren, who has filed the petition through advocate Pragya Baghel, called his arrest illegal and malafide.

After prolonged speculation in the media and a hide-and-seek drama, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chairperson was arrested by the ED in the land scam case in January. (ANI)