The Supreme Court of India delivered a pivotal interim order in favor of Jharkhand’s embattled Chief Minister Hemant Soren, stalling the Enforcement Directorate’s aggressive pursuit in a high-stakes money laundering case. From the benches of CJI Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, the court not only stayed lower court summons but also served a stern advisory to the ED.
‘You have many big cases registered—better focus on them,’ CJI Suryakant observed in a candid courtroom exchange, urging the agency to prioritize impactful investigations. This followed ED’s insistence on Soren ignoring seven summons, rebutted by Mukul Rohatgi’s revelation of three appearances culminating in arrests.
Background: ED’s probe stemmed from documents of Soren’s 8.86-acre land found with an aide, triggering PMLA action and IPC Section 174 summons by Ranchi magistrate. Jharkhand High Court rejected Soren’s quashing plea, paving the way for Supreme Court intervention via Special Leave Petition.
Soren’s tenure has been marred by this saga, including his brief arrest, fueling narratives of political witch-hunt by the BJP-led center against the JMM leader. The stay order restores some stability to Jharkhand’s governance, amid coalition tensions.
Analysts predict this could influence similar cases nationwide, emphasizing procedural fairness in anti-money laundering enforcement. ED must now file its response, potentially escalating to a merits-based showdown. The court’s message resonates: efficiency over proliferation in probe dockets. Soren, resilient, eyes consolidating power as legal clouds part temporarily.