The Supreme Court of India will hear a plea filed by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeking interim bail to campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The apex court has listed the matter for hearing before a Vacation Bench on Tuesday. Soren, who is currently in custody, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January in connection with a money laundering case.
Soren’s plea for interim bail was opposed by the ED, which argued that he was not entitled to any relief as he had been arrested months before the elections. However, Soren’s counsel, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, contended that his client was willing to surrender on June 2 after the completion of the polling process.
The court, while hearing the matter, observed that Soren would have to prima facie satisfy the court that the land in question, which the ED believes is the proceeds of crime, did not belong to him. The bench also directed the ED to submit its reply to Soren’s plea by Monday.
Soren’s arrest in January had sparked a political controversy, with his supporters alleging that it was politically motivated. The Jharkhand High Court had earlier refused to quash the case against Soren, observing that the former Chief Minister could not wriggle out of the “mess” by invoking the spectre of political vendetta.
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear Soren’s plea for interim bail is significant as it will have implications for other politicians facing criminal charges. The apex court has in the past granted interim bail to politicians to enable them to participate in elections. In the recent past, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is also facing money laundering charges.
