Jharkhand HC refuses to quash ED case against CM Hemant Soren

Ranchi, Jan 15 (PTI) Jharkhand High Court on Thursday refused to quash the cognisance taken against Chief Minister Hemant Soren by a special MP-MLA court in a complaint case filed by the ED, dealing a setback to the JMM leader.

The ED had filed a complaint case against Soren for not appearing before it despite summonses issued by it in connection with his alleged involvement in a land scam.

The special MP-MLA court judge, Sarthak Sharma, had earlier taken cognisance of the complaint and issued summons to Soren to appear before the court.

According to the ED, its assistant director posted in Ranchi, Devraj Jha, filed the complaint stating that as many as 10 summonses were issued to the chief minister seeking his appearance before the agency.

Soren had appeared in response to two summonses only, while the others were ignored, Jha said.

The ED claimed that the investigation could not progress in the absence of Soren’s presence and cooperation, and that he was required to be examined for proper investigation into the alleged scam.

Thereafter the ED filed the complaint case before the court of the CJM, Ranchi, which was subsequently transferred to the special MP-MLA court where it is currently pending.

The HC after having heard the matter declined to interfere in the case at this stage. PTI CORR NAM MNB