SC asks ED to respond to Soren's bail plea
The Supreme Court has directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond within two days to an interim bail plea by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The plea is related to an alleged land scam and is due amidst ongoing general elections. During the hearing, the ED opposed Soren's plea, arguing that his arrest took place before the announcement of general election dates.
Expedited hearing set for Soren's bail plea
The bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta has agreed to an expedited hearing in the matter, setting the next date for May 21. This decision came after an appeal by senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who is representing Soren. Sibal pressed for parity with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was granted interim bail for political campaigning during the Lok Sabha polls on May 10.
Soren's counsel argues for parity with Kejriwal
Sibal argued that Soren is ready to surrender to Jharkhand jail authorities on June 2, the same day Kejriwal is required to return to Delhi prison after his 21-day bail period ends. The bench agreed to list the matter before a vacation bench on May 21, noting that the ED must have a couple of days to put in its affidavit on Soren's plea for interim bail. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, opposed Soren's plea.
ED claims Soren benefitted from alleged land scam
Raju pointed out that Soren's petition for regular bail has already been rejected by a Jharkhand court. He stated that the agency had sufficient evidence demonstrating that the former CM was a beneficiary of the proceeds of crime in the alleged land scam. The Supreme Court had previously granted Kejriwal temporary bail in the Delhi excise policy case until June 1, rejecting ED's argument that releasing him for political campaigning would imply preferential treatment for politicians.
