Fabrication And Falsification Of Property Deeds And Revenue Records Are Matters Of Record: Jharkhand HC While Dismissing Hemant Soren's Plea Challenging Arrest By ED

Soren, through the petition earlier, had challenged his arrest by the ED. The Court had kept the order reserved in the case on February 28 which was pronounced today.

A Division Bench of ACJ Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Navneet Kumar said, “The fabrication and falsification of the property deeds and revenue records are the matters of record, and there is prima facie evidence of the petitioner’s association with Bhanu Pratap Prasad. At the relevant time, the petitioner was the Chief Minister and there was manipulation in registering the report in Sadar PS Case No. 272 of 2023. The recovery of huge cash from his Delhi residence is not denied by the petitioner and the excuse of the illness of his parents for keeping more than 36 lacs in cash prima facie looks untenable.”

Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He is at present in judicial custody and lodged at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

Soren was sent to the Birsa Munda Central Jail on February 15 after his 13-day custody of the ED.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the Petitioner and ASG S.V. Raju appeared for the Respondents.

The Court added, “At this stage, this is not possible to hold that the ED has proceeded against the petitioner for no reasons. The admissibility or otherwise of the materials collected by the ED can be examined by the Special Court if a prosecution report is filed against the petitioner. The learned ASG rightly contended that the scheme under the PMLA does not contemplate a mini-trial at this stage.”

Cause Title: Hemant Soren v. Directorate of Enforcement & Anr.

Appearance:

Petitioner: Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and Advocates Rajiv Ranjan and Piyush Chitresh

Respondents: ASG S.V. Raju and Advocates Zoheb Hossain, Amit Kumar Das, Saurav Kumar, Rishabh Dubey