Supreme Court refuses to interfere with Hemant Soren’s arrest by ED

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with a plea of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi asked senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Soren, to approach the high court for relief.

JMM leader Hemant Soren, who had to step down as Jharkhand chief minister in the face of his imminent arrest, in his plea before the top court had accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of arresting him as part of a “well-orchestrated conspiracy” by the Centre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due months from now.

In his plea before the apex court, Soren has urged it to declare his arrest as unwarranted, arbitrary, and in violation of his fundamental rights.

Soren was arrested on January 31, in a money laundering case linked to “illegal” possession of huge parcels of land and alleged association with the “land mafia”.

He was sent to one-day judicial custody on Thursday by a special PMLA court in Ranchi.