The Supreme Court has turned down the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) request to overturn the bail granted to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. On Monday, the court found the Jharkhand High Court's decision to grant bail on June 28 to be well-reasoned. The Supreme Court also clarified that the high court's comments about bail would not affect the trial or other proceedings.
The ED had challenged the bail decision, arguing it was unlawful and biased. The agency had arrested Soren on January 31, alleging he used his position to illegally acquire 8.86 acres of land in Jharkhand’s state capital.
Soren’s lawyer, Kapil Sibal, argued that the land-grabbing allegations did not fall under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and were instead a civil matter regarding property rights, not a criminal issue.
After getting bail, Soren resumed his role as Chief Minister on July 4. During his time in custody, his party, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), achieved notable success in the Lok Sabha election, winning three seats compared to just one in 2019. The Congress, a JMM ally, won two seats, while the BJP-led NDA won nine of Jharkhand, 14 seats down from twelve in 2019.
