VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, April 29: Putting a full stop over the controversy, the Enforcement Directorate has stated that the Jharkhand High Court has not instructed anything to the agency in its order regarding a PIL related to companies allegedly owned by Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren.
It became further clear when the order sheet was uploaded at the web site of Jharkhand high Court on Friday.
“The order is self-explanatory. No such order or instruction has been given to the ED as far as I understand. You can also check it,” said Amit Kumar, the standing counsel of the ED at Jharkhand High Court.
“Let the Registrar of Companies-cum-Official Liquidator, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Mangal Tower, 4th floor, Old Hazaribagh Road, Near Kanta Toli Chowk, Ranchi-834001, Jharkhand be impleaded as party-respondent no. 14. Mr. Prashant Pallav, A.S.G.I. waives notice on behalf of the newly impleaded party-respondent no.14. Let him seek instructions from the Registrar of Companies regarding the Companies against which allegations have been made in this writ petition. Let the details of those Companies be furnished by the counsel appearing for the Registrar of the Companies to this Court,” the order sheet reads.
The bench of Chief Justice (Dr. Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad ordered this on April 22 while hearing a PIL filed by Shiv Shankar Sharma who was represented by senior lawyer Rajiv Kumar.
Shiv Shankar Sharma has alleged that the chief minister and his associates are involved in corruption and they are running several companies. There was confusion and controversy over what the court actually ordered.
Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan accused the petitioner’s lawyer for misleading people and media by saying that the court has asked the ED also to make an inquiry into the allegation. He further stated that an old PIL by Diwan Indranil Sinha was rehashed which the court had dismissed with the cost of the case.
This had apparently created confusion in the higher echelon of the prosecution agency whether the court had mandated the ED to investigate.
The PIL will be heard on May 13 when the Registrar of Companies is expected to submit the report as sought by the court.
