ED Arrest: Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Approachs Supreme Court (image-twitter/hemantsorenJMM)
Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has approached the apex court challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Hemant Soren was arrested by the central agency in an alleged money laundering case associated with a land scam. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, along with Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the former chief minister’s case before the bench led by the Chief Justice of India for an urgent hearing, reports Livelaw.
Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has accepted the request and agreed to hear the matter tomorrow. When Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta told the bench that Soren has filed a similar petition in the Jharkhand High Court which has scheduled the hearing today, Sibal stated that the petition will be withdrawn from the High Court.
Commenting on the arrest conducted by ED, the senior advocate said, “This Court has to set out the contours of Section 19 PMLA…how can a man be arrested like this…it affects the polity of the country”.
The Secretary general expressed his disagreement with withdrawing the petition from the High Court. He said, “It would be unfair to the HC because, at their request, the matter was kept today first on board and now posted to tomorrow”.
Sibal reiterated his undertaking by stating that the petition at the High Court would be withdrawn.
Sibal contended that the petition raises serious issues of violation to which additional Solicitor General S V Raju said that the allegations against Soren are also very serious.
Soren announced his resignation from the chief ministerial post yesterday. Mr. Hemant tendered his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan after around seven hours of questioning by the ED officials. The former chief minister has filed a complaint against the ED officials in which he stated that the central agency has carried out a purported search. “This purported search was without any notice to me nor was my presence required on January 29 in New Delhi by the named persons (ED officials),” Hemant Soren said.
