Ranchi (Jharkhand): The Jharkhand High Court granted bail to former Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged illegal possession of 8.36 acres of land. Following this, Hemant Soren has come out of jail.
Reacting to the incident, Soren said he was falsely implicated and was forced to spend five months in jail. The former CM was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31 and has been in custody at Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi since then.
The case stems from allegations of tampering with land records involving Bhanu Pratap Prasad, a former land revenue inspector implicated in a land-grab syndicate. Prasad's arrest led to the discovery of falsified land records, including documents purportedly showing Soren's possession of the disputed 8.36-acre of land in Ranchi.
During the bail hearing, Soren's legal counsel argued that the matter was civil in nature, emphasising that the land in question, termed as Bhuinhari, could not legally be transferred. They further asserted that there was no element of money laundering involved in the case.
Contrarily, the ED alleged that Soren had utilised his political influence and assistance from officials to take possession of the land, despite his claims of ignorance about its status. The agency also pointed to evidence suggesting plans for constructing a banquet hall on the disputed property, including architectural maps found on Soren's mobile phone.
Justice Rangan Mukhopadhyay presided over the hearing, which concluded on June 13 after arguments from both Soren's defence team and the ED's Assistant Solicitor General SV Raju. Following deliberation, the court decided to grant Soren regular bail, marking a turning point in the prolonged legal saga surrounding the former CM.
The ED has opposed Soren's bail plea, expressing concerns that his release could potentially obstruct ongoing investigations by allowing misuse of government machinery. However, with no other pending cases against him, Soren is set to be released from custody.
