Ranchi- The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday removed the interim stay previously granted to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, paving the way for the continuation of trial in a case concerning his alleged failure to comply with ED summonses.
Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary’s bench reversed the December 4, 2024 interim relief order and instructed the Special MP-MLA Court to proceed with the trial without delay.
The Enforcement Directorate had filed a complaint on February 19, 2024, alleging that Soren intentionally ignored ten summonses issued between August 2023 and January 2024 in a money-laundering probe involving a land scam in Ranchi’s Bargain area.
The ED maintained that Soren appeared only twice despite the repeated notices, constituting a violation of Section 63 of the PMLA.
After taking cognisance on March 4, 2024, the CJM court transferred the matter to the Special MP-MLA Court. Challenging the proceedings, Soren approached the High Court, asserting that he had responded in writing to all missed summonses and eventually complied with a fresh one. He also accused the ED of acting with “malicious intent”.
While he had earlier been granted interim exemption from personal appearance, the High Court on Tuesday refused to extend that relief. The court rejected the request by Soren’s counsel for more time to argue the case and ordered the resumption of proceedings.
The matter will be heard next on November 28, and Soren is likely to appear unless he secures new relief.
With inputs from IANS