In a recent judicial development, the Jharkhand High Court has granted Chief Minister Hemant Soren an exemption from personal appearance in a money laundering case heard by the MP/MLA court in Ranchi. This case pertains to allegations of Soren’s non-compliance with multiple summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to a suspected land scam.
Justice Anil Kumar Chaudhary, presiding over the matter, responded to a petition filed by Soren, ruling that the Chief Minister need not appear before the judicial magistrate until the next hearing scheduled for December 16. The court also provided the ED a one-week timeframe to submit their counter affidavit.
This legal confrontation began when the ED accused Soren of repeatedly failing to appear in court despite receiving seven summonses connected to the alleged laundering activities. The initial mandate for Soren to present himself on December 4 was issued by the MP/MLA court’s judicial magistrate, Sarthak Sharma. However, this directive was contested by Soren, who cited pressing official duties as his reason for non-compliance.
The ED’s representation in court argued that Soren’s absence demonstrated a lack of cooperation with the ongoing investigation. Conversely, the defense highlighted the pressures of state governance that hindered Soren’s ability to attend court sessions.
