A special court for MPs and MLAs in Ranchi granted bail to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday in a case initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The case pertains to the alleged non-compliance with multiple summonses issued by the central agency.
Court Proceedings and Bail Conditions
The Chief Minister appeared before the court following a directive from the Jharkhand High Court. His advocate, Pradeep Chandra, stated that Hemant Soren furnished two bail bonds of Rs 7,000 each to secure his release.
Chandra further clarified that, as per the High Court's order, the CM is exempted from future personal appearances in this case unless the MP/MLA court issues a specific order demanding his presence. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for December 12.
Background of the ED Case
The Enforcement Directorate had filed a petition alleging that Chief Minister Hemant Soren failed to appear in response to eight out of ten summonses issued to him. These summonses were related to an investigation into the Bargai land scam and associated money laundering allegations.
Earlier, on November 28, the MP/MLA court had directed the CM to appear before it on December 12. This order came after the ED informed the court that the Jharkhand High Court's earlier stay on Soren's personal appearance had been vacated.
High Court's Directives and Security Arrangements
In a preceding hearing on Wednesday, the Jharkhand High Court had instructed the Chief Minister to appear before the special court around 2 pm on Saturday. It granted him exemption from future appearances on the condition that he is represented by his lawyer. However, the High Court left room for the trial court to demand his presence if deemed necessary for an unavoidable purpose.
Adhering to the schedule, CM Hemant Soren arrived at the court premises at approximately 2 pm and completed the legal formalities within a few minutes before departing.
Elaborate security measures were in place for his visit. Senior government officials, including SSP Rakesh Ranjan and SDO Utkarsh Kumar, oversaw the arrangements. A security detail of around 150 personnel from the district police, Jharkhand Armed Police, Indian Reserve Battalion, and special commandos was deployed at the court.
