New Delhi. The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate, ED, on the interim bail plea of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is in jail in a money laundering case. The court has sought a reply by May 6. The Supreme Court also made it clear that the High Court can meanwhile give its verdict on the petition challenging Hemant Soren’s arrest. It is worth noting that Hemant Soren has filed a petition in the High Court, on which the decision has not come yet.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a bench of Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dutta heard Hemant Soren’s petition. Hemant Soren has filed a petition in the Supreme Court alleging that the High Court had reserved the decision on February 28 after completing the hearing on his petition challenging the arrest, but has not yet pronounced the verdict. Hemant Soren has raised the issue of the High Court not pronouncing the verdict and has demanded interim bail from the Supreme Court.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Hemant Soren, told the Supreme Court on Monday that even if the entire ED case is looked at, there is no material against him, yet he has been arrested. On being asked by the Supreme Court, Sibal told that the High Court has not yet given its decision. Sibal said that he is seeking interim bail from the court. After this, the court issued a notice to the ED and ordered the case to be heard in the week starting from May 6. It is worth noting that the ED arrested Hemant Soren on January 31 on charges of money laundering in the land purchase case. Soren has been in jail since then.