The Apex Court today said the PIL alleging money laundering and irregularities charges against the Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, is not maintainable.
The bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) UU Lalit ,along with Justices Ravindra Bhat and justice Sudhanshu Dhulia have today,put aside the order of the High Court which had held that the PIL was maintainable.
Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi appeared for the State of Jharkhand and the Chief Minister respectively. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the respondents.
The High Court of Jharkhand had directed the probe into the concerned allegations by the CBI after a sealed cover report from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was relied by the Chief Justice of the High Court .
The State’s objection were rejected by the High Court initially. Later the Bench by Chief Justice directed the State to produce details of the 16 FIRs relating to an alleged MGNREGA scam.
The Court also took a note on the suspension of the Mining Secretary was in connection with the matters.
The Supreme Court was then approached by the State against the proceedings. The Apex court directed the High Court to decide upfront the maintainability of the PILs filed by one Shiv Shankar Sharma on May 24.
Taking note of the same, the High Court on June 3 held that the proceedings are maintainable. The State then approached the Apex court against the same by way of the present plea.
The Court had disapproved of the PIL usage route to initiate an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe when there was no predicate offence registered.