The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a petition filed by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The order was passed by the Bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, which posted the matter next week for further hearing.
The Apex Court observed that the High Court was open to pronounce judgment in the reserved case till then.
Soren was represented by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) highlighted before the Apex Court the delay by the Jharkhand High Court in delivering its order in his petition challenging his arrest.
Earlier, he had moved the top court of the country under Article 32 challenging his arrest, but the Apex Court had refused to entertain the same and directed him to approach the Jharkhand High Court first.
Soren had stepped down as Chief Minister of Jharkhand on January 31 in the wake of his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case related to the “illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in the State.
The ED filed a prosecution complaint on June 23, 2016 in connection with the case under Section 45 of PMLA against Soren, Ranjan, nine others and three companies.
Soren has denied the allegations of money laundering. In a video released soon before he was taken into custody, he claimed he was being arrested on the basis of “fake papers” as a part of a conspiracy.
The Jharkhand High Court is yet to pronounce its order in his plea.