VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, June 3: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday passed the order in PIL 4290/2021 and 727/2022 and said that both the PILs are maintainable. The first PIL is related to allegations against Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his close associates whereas the second PIL is related to the CM availing stone mining lease in his name. Shiv Shankar Sharma is the petitioner of both PILs.
Now the court has fixed June 10 as the next date of hearing when the court would hear the merits of both PILs.
A High Court bench of Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad accepting the maintainability of both PILs has come as a loss of face for the Jharkhand government.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi who appeared on behalf of the Jharkhand government and the Chief Minister Hemant Soren as well had opposed both the PILs stating that the allegations have no merit.
The Chief Justice said that maintainability is one part of the legal process and it does not mean that the PILs have been accepted. He said that the court would hear the merits of the PILs.
Advocate general Rajiv Ranjan appearing on behalf of the Jharkhand government requested the court to fix June 17 as the next state of hearing stating that Kapil Sibal would not be available to argue on any date before June 17. On this, the court said that they should adjust their schedule according to the convenience of the court.
The chief justice said that after summer vacation the court would resume the physical hearing.
