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8.86-ACRE LAND CASE : HC DENIES RELIEF TO HEMANT SOREN
Jharkhand : A fresh legal development has put the spotlight on Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, after the Jharkhand High Court refused to grant interim relief in the 8.86-acre Ranchi land case linked to an alleged money-laundering investigation. The High Court dismissed an interlocutory application seeking a stay on the framing of charges and further proceedings before the Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, meaning the trial-court proceedings can move ahead.
The case concerns alleged irregularities in the ownership, possession and transfer of 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi’s Bargain Circle. The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that the land was illegally acquired, possessed and transferred through allegedly forged documents and that the transactions generated proceeds of crime. Soren, however, has challenged the proceedings and maintained that there is insufficient material to establish a prima facie case against him.
His legal team had also raised the issue of prior sanction for prosecution, arguing that such protection was required in his capacity as a public servant. The High Court’s refusal to stay the proceedings means the legal battle will now continue before the Special PMLA court, where the question of charges against Soren remains part of the ongoing proceedings.
The development comes after the special PMLA court had earlier rejected his discharge plea, holding that a prima facie case existed on the basis of the material placed before it. The ED had arrested Soren in January 2024 during its investigation, and he was subsequently granted bail. Soren and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha have maintained that the action against him is politically motivated, while the ED has said its case concerns alleged financial irregularities and money laundering connected with the land transactions.
With the High Court now declining to halt the proceedings, the 8.86-acre land case is set to remain a major legal issue for the Jharkhand Chief Minister, with further proceedings expected before the trial court.
Mudasir Maqbool
