No SC Relief For Hemant Soren, Asked To Move HC Against ED Summons

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s plea against Enforcement Directorate summons in a money laundering case. The apex court asked Soren to move concerned High Court with his plea after which the Jharkhand CM withdrew his plea. The enforcement agency had last month issued summon to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader requiring his presence for questioning on August 14 in connection with an ongoing land scam investigation, following a previous inquiry last year, during which the ED interrogated Soren for approximately 10 hours on November 18, 2022, regarding his alleged involvement in an illegal mining case, specifically related to stone mining. 

Soren had confronted the federal agency last month stating he would take legal action if the summon against him is not withdrawn. 

In his petition filed in the Supreme Court, the CM contended that Centre is using ED agaisnt the Opposition leaders who are not towing the lines of the government, stated an NDTV report. He further claimed that the targeting of Opposition leaders has picked up pace as the general elections are fast approaching and with the formation of I.N.D.I.A. bloc against the ruling NDA. 

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“The repeated summoning under the garb of investigation under the PMLA of the properties owned, possessed and occupied by the Petitioner and the source of its acquisition, which information and material is already in the possession of the ED and with the Central Bureau of Investigation is nothing but a ruse to harass, browbeat and intimidate at the behest of the Central Government and a complete misuse of the powers by the ED,” it said, according to the NDTV report. 

Soren was issued summon in the wake of a significant mining scam with allegations of financial irregularities amounting to approximately Rs 1000 crore. 

Earlier, the enforcement agency had apprehended Soren’s close aide, Pankaj Mishra, as part of their ongoing probe. 

Last year, Soren had written an open letter to ED assistant director Deovrat Jha, expressing his concerns and challenging the probe agency’s assertions. 

The letter, issued on November 17 last year, condemned what Soren deemed “sensational statements” made by the ED regarding a purported illegal mining scam amounting to Rs 1000 crore.