Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren was sent to 1-day judicial custody by PMLA court in Ranchi on Thursday, a day after the tribal leader was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged land scam case.
Soren appeared before the PMLA court in Ranchi where the ED requested a 10-day remand for him. The court has postponed the hearing to February 2.
Following a day of intense activity in the city, the investigation agency apprehended Hemant Soren from Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Wednesday night. Officials had been questioning him for over seven hours. Shortly after tendering his resignation as Jharkhand Chief Minister to Governor CP Radhakrishnan, the 48-year-old politician was escorted to the Enforcement Directorate office in Ranchi.
SC to hear Soren's plea on Friday
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has agreed to consider a plea filed by Soren on Friday. This plea challenges his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on money laundering charges, which occurred shortly after he resigned as the chief minister of the state on Wednesday.
Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud granted the urgent listing of Soren’s petition following arguments from senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi. They contended that this case would significantly affect India's political landscape, warranting intervention from the highest court in the country.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused the JMM leader of being the primary beneficiary in purported land-related irregularities in Ranchi. It is alleged that a network of brokers and businessmen has been operating over the years to fabricate fake deeds of land parcels by falsifying records in registrar offices, subsequently selling them off.
