Ranchi
In a setback to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday withdrew the interim relief granted to him and allowed the trial to proceed against him in a case related to non-compliance of multiple summons of the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This could heat up the State’s political corridors.
Setting aside the interim relief granted to Hemant on December 4, 2024, the bench of Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary instructed the Special MP-MLA Court to continue with the pending trial. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for November 28 when the Chief Minister may appear personally before the court, unless he secures any fresh relief.
The case pertains to ED’s complaint in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate on February 19, 2024. The agency alleged Hemant deliberately evaded multiple summons issued to him in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to a land scam in the State capital’s Bargain area The ED complained that Hemant was issued a total of 10 summons but he appeared only twice despite repeated notices, amounting to a violation of Section 63 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The CJM court took cognisance of the ED’s complaint on March 4, 2024, and transferred the case to the Special MP-MLA Court following which Hemant moved the Jharkhand High Court, challenging the proceedings.
In his petition, while Hemant argued that he had provided written responses for every summons he could not attend and eventually complied with a fresh summons, he also accused the ED of repeatedly summoning him with a malicious intent. He sought a quashing of the complaint on this ground.
The High Court granted him interim relief, exempting him from personal appearance before the MP-MLA Court while his petition was under consideration.
However, on Tuesday, the High Court refused to give any more time to Hemant’s counsel to argue the matter and also an extension of interim relief. It directed that the proceedings against him be resumed without delay.
