Supreme Court rejects ED's plea against Hemant Soren's bail

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s plea challenging the bail granted to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan described the June 28 judgment of the Jharkhand High Court, which granted Soren interim bail, as “a very well-reasoned order” and declined to interfere with it.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED, argued that the high court should not have disregarded the statements recorded by the agency. However, Justice Gavai responded that “reasons have been given why they are disregarded.”

Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with the money laundering case tied to the alleged land scam. The Jharkhand chief minister has denied all allegations against him.

On Monday, Raju attempted to present corroborating evidence against Soren, but Justice Gavai stated, “There is a specific finding that in all records seized from Bhanu Pratap, there is nothing implicating applicant (Soren).” Bhanu Pratap Prasad, a land revenue inspector arrested in 2023, was allegedly involved in a land-grab syndicate. The police recovered several original land records from Prasad, including an image of an 8.36-acre land parcel reportedly in Soren’s illegal possession.