VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, June 15: The hearing of the office of the profit case by the Election Commission of India (ECI) against JMM MLA Basant Soren is set to be deferred as the BJP has sought three weeks’ time from the Commission. Basant happens to be the brother of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
The BJP is the complainant in this case and the hearing is scheduled for today (June 15). “We have requested the ECI to grant three weeks’ time. We need time to file the reply, besides, the lawyer representing the BJP has some personal issues,” Jharkhand BJP president and Rajya Sabha member Deepak Prakash told Lagatar24.com.
The BJP filed a time petition right after Chief Minister Hemant Soren sought time from the ECI to defer the hearing of his matter on the ground of the poor health of his lawyer. The hearing of his case was scheduled for June 14. Hemant Soren is facing a similar allegation. He is accused of having availed stone mining lease at Angara in his capacity as the chief minister and minister of the mining and forest departments.
The BJP seeking time from the ECI is no coincidence but a well-planned strategy. The BJP wants both the brothers to face disqualification simultaneously.
“Both are separate cases being heard by the ECI. But both cases are intrinsically interlinked hence we will not like any time gap in the judgment of the two cases. The termination of their membership is only a matter of time since there is an abundance of materials and evidence,” said a senior BJP leader.
In the complaint, the BJP said that Basant Soren suppressed information about his association with a mining company Grands Mining Works LLP.
The BJP alleged that Basant Soren held the post of director of this company which comes under the definition of office of profit. The ECI had sent him a notice and directed to reply by May 12 as to why his membership of the Jharkhand assembly should not be terminated under section 9 A of the Representation of People’s Act as he is involved in private business. Basant Soren filed a reply after which the ECI further issued him notice to appear for the hearing.
The ECI is examining whether Basant Soren as an MLA continued private business and he used his influence to obtain mining and other business rights. Based on the documents the ECI in the light of the Indian Constitution wants to examine whether such business comes under the definition of the office of profit. And, whether such public servants are liable to be disqualified as a member of the assembly under Article 192 of the Constitution. Grands Mining Works is a Limited Liability Partnership firm incorporated on 17 February 2015. It is registered at the Registrar of Companies, Jharkhand. Designated Partners of this company are Basant Soren, Narendra Singh, Suresh K. Nagre and Bhupendra Kumar Singh. The company is based in Bokaro. Basant Soren is also a partner in two other companies namely Maa Bhadrakali Alloys Pvt Ltd and Accent Minmet Resources Private Limited. Nevertheless, Basant Soren in his 2016 Rajya Sabha election affidavit had mentioned having invested in Grands Mining Works LLP and Maa Bhadrakali Alloys Pvt Ltd.
