NEW DELHI: In a significant decision, the Appellate Tribunal constituted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has issued a directive to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to release a BMW X7 luxury vehicle seized from the Delhi residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
The seizure by the ED, executed on January 29, 2024, was part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged land scam linked to money laundering involving Soren, as he maintained that the said high-end luxury car neither belonged to him nor his family members.
The Tribunal’s order, with its detailed reasoning still pending, mandates the vehicle’s release within six weeks, while preserving the ED’s right to take further action if new evidence linking the car to the case emerges.
The ED’s probe aimed to uncover whether properties or assets, including the seized vehicle, were linked to “proceeds of crime” as defined under the PMLA. The case has been politically charged, given Soren’s stature as a prominent leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and his tenure as CM of the state.
Soren was arrested in connection with the case but was granted bail by the HC in June 2024, a decision later affirmed by Supreme Court the next month.
The PMLA Appellate Tribunal allowed the appeal filed by Bhagwandas Holdings Pvt. Ltd (BHPL), the registered car owner of the BMW X7.
The company, represented by advocates Rajesh Inamdar, Rohit Sharma and Shashwat Anand, argued that neither BHPL nor its directors had been named as accused in the Enforcement Case Information Report or the prosecution complaint filed by the ED. It was emphasised by the counsel the seized vehicle had never been identified or proven to be “proceeds of crime.”
It was further contended that the probe agency had failed to produce any material evidence.