SC refuses to intervene, ED arrests Hemant Soren

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to intervene in former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren. Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi approached the High Court seeking relief.

JMM leader Hemant Soren, who had to resign as Jharkhand chief minister over his imminent arrest, in his plea in the Supreme Court accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of “well-planned arrest” conspiracy” was raised by the Center ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due in a few months.

Soren, in his plea before the Supreme Court, urged the Supreme Court to declare his arrest unwarranted, arbitrary and a violation of his fundamental rights.

Soren was arrested on January 31 in a money laundering case related to the “illegal” ownership of large tracts of land and alleged links to the “land mafia”. He was sent to one-day judicial custody by a special PLA court in Ranchi on Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)