On Wednesday the Supreme Court, refused to entertain former CM of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren’s petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and seeking interim bail to campaign in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma criticized Soren for not disclosing his bail plea before a trial court, highlighting that his conduct was not free from blemish.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Soren, withdrew the application after the court warned of dismissal. This development prevents Soren, a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, from campaigning for the ongoing elections.
The court reprimanded Soren’s legal team for suppressing material facts, stating, “We expected your client to come up with candor but you suppressed material facts.”
Questioning how Soren could contest the validity of his arrest after a Jharkhand trial court found prima facie evidence of money laundering against him, the supreme court on Tuesday distinguished Soren’s case from that of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who was granted interim bail due to no judicial order against him at the time.
The bench emphasized that the April 4 order by a Jharkhand court was based on prima facie incriminating materials linked to Soren. The court stated, “Once cognisance has been taken… there is a judicial decision, and you need to satisfy us that after such an order, this court can still look into materials,” highlighting the judicial challenge Soren faces.
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