PIL demanding probe against Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, family dismissed

RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court today dismissed a PIL demanding a probe against Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his family members for allegedly possessing property beyond known sources of their income.

A division bench of Chief Justice R Banumathi and Justice D N Patel quashed the petition on the ground that proper process was not followed while filing the petition.

The bench said the petitioner had not approached the Election Commission of India or any probe agency like the Vigilance or CBI before approaching the high court.

The judges also questioned the intention behind the petition as it was filed immediately after Hemant Soren became the Chief Minister.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on petitioner Deewan Indraneel Sinha as the cost of the litigation.

Accusing Hemant Soren, his father Shibu Soren and sister-in-law Sita Soren of amassing property beyond known sources of their income, Sinha had sought a probe against them.

The court said that the case seemed like a misuse of the PIL mechanism.

It also reminded the petitioner that his earlier PIL filed against the same persons had been disposed off in January this year.