The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate in a case of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta heard the case and scheduled it for further proceedings on May 17, awaiting the ED's response.
Soren's petition challenges the decision of the Jharkhand High Court, which had upheld the ED's arrest.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Soren, emphasised that Soren was not in possession of the disputed land, a point he vehemently reiterated.
Sibal argued that the alleged offense of forcible possession of land did not fall under the scheduled offenses outlined in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Justice Khanna inquired about Soren's stance on the timing of the case's listing, suggesting either after notice in July or during the court vacations beginning May 18.
Sibal pressed for an expedited hearing, citing the ongoing elections. Despite initially declining Sibal's request to list the case on May 17, the bench indicated that it would be heard in the week commencing May 20, taking into account the conclusion of the election campaign.
Sibal highlighted the delay in the High Court's judgment, which was delivered on May 3 despite concluding arguments on February 28. He argued that this delay deprived Soren of the opportunity to participate effectively in election campaigning.
The Apex court finally agreed to list the matter on May 17.
Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with an alleged land scam in Jharkhand, where he is accused of being the primary beneficiary of fraudulently acquired land.
Meanwhile, in another development, the PMLA court in Ranchi today rejected the bail petition filed by Hemant Soren. Soren's bail application was heard in PMLA court on Monday.
After that the court rejected his petition. After hearing the bail plea of Hemant Soren on May 4, the PMLA court had reserved its decision.
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