The Directorate of Enforcement has recently issued a fresh summons to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and asked him to appear on September 23 in a money laundering case. ED asked Jharkhand CM Soren to join its investigation in the alleged money laundering case on September 23.
Earlier on September 15, the Supreme Court adjourned to September 18 Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s plea against the Enforcement Directorate summons to him in a money laundering case. Soren’s advocate urged a bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi to adjourn the matter for Monday.
Hemant Soren filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the summons issued to him and stated that the case was a clear “abuse of law” by the Central Government and a “misuse of the central agencies” to destabilize the democratically elected government led by him.
Previously, Soren was summoned by the ED in mid-August in connection with an alleged land scam case. However, Soren didn’t join the central agency probe stating that he was busy with the preparation for the Independence Day celebration in the state. He was again asked to appear on August 24 and September 9 but he didn’t appear before the probe agency.
In his plea, Soren urged the top court to declare Section 50 and Section 63 of the PMLA, 2002 as ultra vires to the Constitution of India and to issue appropriate direction to declare the summons against him as illegal and null and void.
The petition read, “As sentinel on the que vive, this Court has the Constitutional mandate to quash any act of the Union Government which is vitiated by malice and designed to interfere with the franchise exercised by the people of Jharkhand. With the general election approaching soon in the next 7-8 months, the political atmosphere in the country has been vitiated by the ruling regime and all efforts have been made to threaten, humiliate and intimidate the political leaders, particularly, when the opposition has united to form INDIA alliance in which petitioner and his party are a vocal participant and integral part of the alliance and who are not aligned with the NDA.”
It stated that the issuance of summons is actuated by malice and that “false allegation” has been levelled against the petitioner “with the sole motive to create political uncertainty and unrest in the state”.
The petition stated that ED also sought to link the petitioner with the alleged illegal mining of stone chips in Jharkhand and summons were issued. Soren told the court that he has provided details of all movable and immovable properties owned by him and his family along with certified copies of the title deed.
The Chief Minister asked the probe agency to withdraw the summon against him or he will take legal action. In his letter written earlier, Soren stated that he provided all necessary documents and information.
