Hemant Soren, the former Chief Minister of JMM, filed a complaint against the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging that its officials had engaged in “harassment” in violation of the Scheduled Tribe/Scheduled Caste (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The ED then moved the Jharkhand High Court to challenge the First Information Report (FIR) against its officials.
As to ANI, on Saturday, February 3, the investigating agency filed a plea in the high court subsequent to Soren’s complaint, which was lodged at a Ranchi SC/ST police station. On Monday, the Jharkhand High Court will consider Soren’s appeal against his ED arrest. The Supreme Court declined to hear Soren’s appeal against the ED’s arrest in connection with a purported money laundering scheme on Friday, instead directing him to file a case with the Jharkhand High Court first.
Speaking on behalf of Soren, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal informed the Supreme Court on Friday that the case concerns an arrested chief minister. Senior Attorney Abhishek Manu Singhvi stated that the court has the authority to hear the matter concurrently while representing Soren.
But the Supreme Court ruled that Soren had to first seek the High Court because they are also constitutional tribunals. Due to suspicions of money laundering, Soren was taken into custody on January 31. During its searches in the alleged money laundering case, the ED has claimed to have found cash worth more than Rs 36 lakhs and papers referring to the unlawful ownership and occupation of at least 12 land parcels by Hemant Soren, the former chief minister of Jharkhand and head of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
The ED claims to have discovered that Soren was truly and consciously involved in the procurement, concealment, possession, and use of criminal proceeds, as well as the projection of those proceeds as untarnished property. The Enforcement Department (ED) has stated in court that Soren was found guilty in accordance with Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and that he was eligible for an arrest under Section 19 of the money laundering act. The 8.5-acre land tracts, according to the ED, are part of criminal proceeds because Soren obtained and occupied them illegally.
