Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) petition challenging the bail granted to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
The Jharkhand High Court had granted bail to Soren on June 28, stating that the records did not indicate his “direct involvement” in the scam. The Supreme Court upheld this decision, describing the High Court’s judgment as “very well reasoned.”
“We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order,” remarked the bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan.
Soren, a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, was arrested by the ED on January 31 on charges of money laundering. The ED accused him of orchestrating a scheme to manipulate records through fictitious transactions and forged documents to acquire 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi, valued at crores.
Throughout the investigation, Soren has consistently denied the allegations, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of framing him to disrupt the opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Despite the charges, Soren was sworn in again as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand earlier this month, marking a significant political comeback since his arrest in January.
