Ranchi, Sep 18 — Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren suffered a setback from the Jharkhand High Court on Friday in the money laundering case linked to 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi's Bargain circle.
The court upheld the lower court's order rejecting his discharge petition and dismissed his intervention plea, clearing the way for further judicial proceedings against him.
With the High Court declining to grant relief, the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi can now proceed with the framing of charges against the Chief Minister.
The matter is already scheduled for hearing on September 19, and Hemant Soren is expected to appear before the court.
The Chief Minister had challenged the order of the Special PMLA Court rejecting his discharge petition and had also sought a stay on the ongoing proceedings before the trial court.
After hearing arguments from both sides on September 16, the High Court had reserved its order. The verdict delivered on Friday dismissed his plea.
The case pertains to the alleged illegal acquisition and transfer of 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi's Bargain area. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating allegations of money laundering linked to the land transaction.
According to the agency, forged documents and other irregular procedures were allegedly used in connection with the transfer of the land.
In his discharge application before the lower court, Hemant Soren had denied the allegations, contending that there was no sufficient direct evidence against him. The defence had also questioned some of the statements and circumstantial evidence relied upon by the ED.
The ED, however, argued that documents collected during the investigation, witness testimonies and circumstantial evidence established a prima facie case.
The agency maintained that a detailed examination of the evidence was not required at the stage of framing charges and should instead be undertaken during the trial.
On June 8, the Special PMLA Court rejected Hemant Soren's discharge petition, holding that the material available on record was sufficient to make out a prima facie case. The court also clarified that it was not determining guilt at that stage.
The Special PMLA Court has already framed charges against several other accused in the case, including Antu Tirkey and architect Vinod Kumar Singh.
Following the High Court's refusal to intervene on Friday, the process of framing charges against Hemant Soren is also expected to move forward.
The ED has filed a prosecution complaint against around 18 accused persons, including the Chief Minister.