VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, May 20: The Supreme Court will hear the Special Leave Petition (SLP) of the Jharkhand Government on May 24 regarding the mining lease issue of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the allegation of the shell companies being formed to launder money.
A single bench headed by Justice UU Lalit on Friday listed the petition of the state government before a vacation bench and the hearing is scheduled for May 24. On this day, the bench of Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan of the Jharkhand High Court has also fixed a hearing of this matter.
“The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing till Tuesday (May 24). The state government has challenged the maintainability of PILs besides the sealed cover report of the Enforcement Directorate in this matter. The state wants access to these confidential documents,” said lawyer Rajiv Kumar who appeared on behalf of the petitioner before the SC.
The Jharkhand government on Thursday filed an SLP as it apprehended that the Jharkhand High Court may order a CBI probe against Chief Minister Hemant Soren on the basis of the sealed cover report of the investigation submitted by the Enforcement Directorate regarding the grant of mining leases to the CM.
While mentioning the matter on Thursday for an early hearing, senior Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal representing the Jharkhand government had contended that Jharkhand High Court should not rely upon sealed cover documents.
Sibal said that a PIL was filed before the Jharkhand High Court against the Chief Minister and other individuals. Sibal said that an ED officer produced documents in a sealed cover to the Jharkhand High Court and the Court has observed that the matter will be transferred to the CBI.
Sibal said that in these proceedings an FIR isn’t registered. But despite that, the ED has jumped on the scene. He also said that the PIL has yet not been admitted.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appeared along with Sibal and said that sealed cover documents of the ED have not been shown to respondents of the PIL which includes the Jharkhand Chief Minister and other individuals.
