The Enforcement Directorate on Monday moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Jharkhand High Court's order granting bail to Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam, reported The Hindu.
The agency contended that the High Court erred in observing that on a preliminary reading, there was no evidence that Soren was guilty of money laundering.
The High Court granted bail to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader on June 28, after which he was released from jail. Soren spent nearly five months behind bars, having been arrested on January 31.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha executive present had resigned as the chief minister shortly before being arrested. He took over the post again on July 4.
The High Court, in its June 28 order, said that the “twin test” for granting bail, mandated in all cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, had been satisfied in Soren’s case.
Under Section 45 of the Act, the twin test requires the court to first allow the public prosecutor to be heard. Bail is granted only after the court is satisfied that the accused person is not guilty and is unlikely to commit a similar offence upon their release.
The chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate on March 30 named Soren, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, Raj Kumar Pahan, Hilariyas Kachhap and Binod Singh as the accused persons in the alleged land scam. The central agency has also attached 8.86 acres of land allegedly owned by Soren.
Soren has denied the Enforcement Directorate’s allegations, claiming that he has no link to the property and no relation with Prasad.
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