A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Ranchi has framed charges against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in an alleged illegal land acquisition case linked to the Bargain area, bringing the matter closer to trial despite his challenge before the Jharkhand High Court.
Soren appeared before the special court through videoconferencing on Wednesday and has denied the allegations. The case concerns land in Shanti Nagar, under the Bargain circle, which the Enforcement Directorate has alleged was illegally acquired and possessed.
The court’s action came as a division bench of the Jharkhand High Court directed the Enforcement Directorate to file an affidavit in response to Soren’s petition challenging the proceedings before the lower court. The bench is headed by Chief Justice M S Sonak and Justice Manoj Prasad.
The High Court has not stayed the proceedings before the PMLA court, Soren’s lawyer Sanjeev Sahay said. The matter, including the question of whether the petition is maintainable, has been listed for further hearing on October 29. The trial before the special court is scheduled to begin on November 30.
Soren moved the High Court after the special court rejected his discharge petition on June 8. His revision petition was later dismissed by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad on September 18. In his latest challenge, Soren has sought a stay on the lower-court proceedings until the investigation is completed. His petition also refers to the Enforcement Directorate’s request for permission to file supplementary prosecution complaints.
The prosecution case originated with an FIR registered on June 1, 2023, by then circle officer Manoj Kumar against former revenue sub-inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad. The FIR followed the alleged discovery of tampering in official land records. The Enforcement Directorate subsequently registered a money-laundering case and arrested Soren on January 31, 2024.
The Jharkhand High Court granted Soren bail on June 28, 2024. The special PMLA court had earlier framed charges against 16 other accused in the case, including Bhanu Pratap Prasad. The court’s latest order against Soren adds the chief minister to the group facing proceedings over the alleged land transactions.
The immediate legal milestones are the Enforcement Directorate’s affidavit before the High Court, the October 29 hearing on Soren’s petition and the scheduled November 30 trial before the special PMLA court.
