Supreme Court denies interim release to former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to consider the plea of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeking interim release to allow him to campaign during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

A Bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna was hearing Soren's plea, which challenged his arrest in connection with a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam. The Bench, which also included Justice Dipankar Datta, instructed the federal anti-money laundering agency to file its response, including the interim relief request, by Monday.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Soren, noted that polling in Jharkhand began on May 13, with the remaining phases scheduled for May 20, May 25, and June 1. Sibal argued that there is "no material" against the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, asserting that the money laundering case relies on oral statements claiming the land in question belongs to the former Chief Minister. "I am not in possession of land and I’ve never been," Soren stated.

In opposition, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), argued that Soren is directly implicated and should not be granted interim bail, especially since his arrest occurred before the Lok Sabha election schedule was announced. ASG Raju requested additional time for the ED to respond to Soren's petition.

The Supreme Court agreed and scheduled the matter to be relisted on May 21 before the vacation bench.

Hemant Soren resigned as chief minister on January 31 after the ED notified him of his arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

On May 3, the Jharkhand High Court dismissed Soren's writ petition against his arrest by the ED, stating, "There is an abundance of documents that lay a foundation for the arrest and remand of the petitioner to police and judicial custody."