NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will on Friday hear former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s petition challenging his arrest by the ED in an alleged land scam case. Soren’s senior lawyers — Kapil Sibal and Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi — mentioned the matter before an apex court’s bench, headed by the CJI DY Chandrachud, who agreed to hear the matter on Friday.
“We will list this case tomorrow,” the CJI said. Both the lawyer duo sought urgent hearing from the apex court. “Declare the arrest and consequent detention of the Petitioner as unwarranted, arbitrary, illegal and violative of the fundamental right of the Petitioner guaranteed and protected under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and direct the Respondent to forthwith set the Petitioner free,” the petition read.
Soren, who was arrested on Wednesday night in the money laundering case, has moved the top court challenging his arrest by the central agency. “This affects the polity of the country. Can a man be arrested like this?” Sibal argued before the apex court and sought urgent hearing in the case. Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, senior law officer appearing for the ED, pointed out that Soren’s arrest was challenged on Wednesday before the Jharkhand High Court.
Sibal replied and told the SC that they will be withdrawing their petition from the Jharkhand HC. JMM leader Soren was arrested after over seven hours of questioning on money laundering charges in an alleged land fraud case, official sources said.
Just before his arrest, he stepped down as the chief minister to Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan and was then taken to the ED office here. According to the sources, as the 48-year-old Soren was “evasive” in his replies during his q uestioning, hence was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
During the second round of questioning in the case, the agency put across 15 questions to Soren. The JMM leader was shown the typed statements he recorded with the agency and his signatures were sought on documents.
Arrested on Wednesday
JMM leader and ex-CM Hemant Soren was arrested on Wednesday after more than seven hours of questioning on money laundering charges in an alleged land fraud case, official sources said.