Jharkhand High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on arrested ex-chief minister Hemant Soren’s petition against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till February 27. The court has asked the federal agency to file a consolidated affidavit.
The high court had on February 5 asked the ED to file its reply on Soren’s petition.
The former Chief Minister was arrested by the probing agency on January 31 in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader was remanded to the ED custody on February 2 by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi for five days. On February 7, the court extended the ED remand of the former chief minister by five days.
Last week, Hemant Soren challenged the BJP to prove the corruption charges against him, asserting that if the accusations are proven, he will quit politics.
Taking part in the confidence motion moved by his successor Champai Soren in the assembly, the JMM executive president also alleged that the Raj Bhavan was instrumental in his arrest after a “conspiracy” was hatched by the Centre.
“I challenge BJP to prove corruption charges against me. If proved, I will resign from politics,” said Hemant Soren.
Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan denied these allegations and said, “There is no question of misuse of Raj Bhavan. Every democratic norm has been very strictly followed by us…The former chief minister himself has agreed in his letter that he resigned before being taken to ED custody.”
“I never know who the ED people are. I don’t know their names or faces. I saw them for a few minutes. If you want me to identify, I will not recognise them,” Radhakrishnan told a press conference.
The governor said Raj Bhavan did not ask Soren to resign as the chief minister, but it was the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) which said he was going to put in his papers.
(With PTI inputs)
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Published: 12 Feb 2024, 01:29 PM IST
