The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the bail petition of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, citing his failure to disclose that a trial court had already taken cognisance of a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Consequently, Soren's legal team withdrew the bail plea from the apex court. The ex-Chief Minister was apprehended by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case associated with a reported land scam.
Soren had approached the top court seeking interim bail to take a part in campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. However, the ED strongly opposed granting him special privileges during the Monday hearing.
In response to Soren's bail application, the investigating agency emphasised his influential status. It alleged that he was actively attempting to obstruct the investigation by misusing government resources, aiming to portray the illicit gains as legitimate funds.
The origin of the case against Soren traces back to the arrest of Bhanu Pratap Prasad, a land revenue inspector in 2023, who was purportedly involved in a union engaged in land grabbing and tampering with authentic land documents.
Among the materials seized from Prasad were several original land records, along with a photograph on his phone depicting an 8.36-acre land plot allegedly under Soren's unauthorised control.