Hemant Soren withdraws plea against arrest following Supreme Court's criticism

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case was withdrawn after the Supreme Court refused to entertain it. The court cited reservations about the merits of the case, prompting Soren's legal team to withdraw the plea.

A vacation bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma criticized Soren's lawyers for suppressing facts and not approaching the court with "clean hands." The bench rebuked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Soren, for failing to disclose material facts and lacking candor in presenting the case.

The ED, in its affidavit, accused Soren of actively attempting to "subvert" the probe by "misusing state machinery" and opposed his request for interim bail to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. The agency noted that Soren's arrest on January 31 had been upheld by the Jharkhand High Court, with his regular bail application dismissed by the trial court on May 13.

On May 13, Soren cited the Supreme Court's order granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a similar money laundering case and sought identical relief. He argued that the high court had erred in dismissing his plea.

The ED alleges that Soren generated "huge amounts of proceeds of crime" through manipulation of official records to acquire an 8.86-acre plot of land in Ranchi illegally. Currently in judicial custody at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Central Jail, Soren faces charges related to the alleged acquisition of valuable land parcels using forged documents.