RANCHI: Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that had his precious time not been wasted by putting him into jail for the land scam case, he would have solved many problems related to the people of Jharkhand by now.
Soren was reacting over the dismissal of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea challenging the Jharkhand High Court’s judgement by the Supreme Court on Monday.
The Jharkhand High Court had granted bail to him in a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam.
“I was put behind bars by making false allegations against me and my family as if I was on the run with the properties of the state, due to which, much of my precious time was wasted. You can see how much time it took me to come out of the Assembly as several people were waiting to meet me with their problems,” said Soren.
He added that if his precious time was not wasted perhaps several problems related to the people of this state would have been solved.
According to Soren, the Judiciary is supreme and is the pillar of the Constitution.
“But at the same time, there are a few groups which are involved in wasting the time of judiciary and misusing their powers to silence the voices of those who are trying to become the voice of the poor, dalit and tribals, either by hook or by crook,” added the Chief Minister.
A division bench of Justices B R Gavai and KV Viswanathan observed that the High Court’s judgment – which entered a prima facie finding that Soren was not guilty of money laundering -was “very well-reasoned.”
Hemant Soren was granted bail after the ED arrested him on January 31, 2024.
Soren, after rejection of his interim bail plea and subsequent withdrawal of his petition from the Supreme Court, had moved the Jharkhand High Court seeking a regular bail for him which was allowed paving the way for his release from the jail.