05 February,2024 01:52 PM IST | Ranchi | mid-day online correspondent
Hemant Soren. Pic/PTI
The Jharkhand High Court on Monday sought a reply from the Enforcement Directorate on a petition filed by former Chief Minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the probe agency earlier this month in an alleged land "scam", reported news agency ANI.
The Court has asked the ED to file the reply by February 9. The next hearing has been put up on February 12, reported ANI.
The court was hearing a petition by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren who was arrested following seven hours of grilling on Wednesday evening triggering a political crisis in the state. He has been facing questions by the probe agency in a money laundering case, reported ANI.
He has been facing questions from the probe agency in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land "scam"
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Following his arrest, senior JMM leader Champai Soren took oath as the Chief Minister on Friday afternoon, reported ANI.
"Jharkhand High Court has sought a reply from ED on the petition filed by Hemant Soren against the arrest. HC has asked to file the reply by February 9. The next hearing is on February 12," they said, reported ANI.
Meanwhile, Hemant Soren on Monday reached the state Assembly to participate in the floor test of his successor Champai Soren-led government to prove their majority.
Hemant, who represents the Barhait Assembly constituency in Sahibganj district, was brought by ED to the state Assembly.
The two-day special Jharkhand Assembly session begins today. The newly formed Champai Soren-led coalition government is scheduled to seek a trust vote.
In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has 29 seats, its ally Congress has 17 and the RJD and the CPI (ML) have 1 seat each.
With the support of 43 MLAs, the INDIA bloc has the numbers to sail through the floor test. The majority mark is 41.
The INDIA bloc MLAs who were shifted to Telangana fearing alleged poaching by the BJP arrived on Sunday evening for the floor test.
The JMM leader was on February 2 remanded to ED custody by a special PMLA court in Ranchi for five days.
The special court has allowed Soren to participate in the trust vote in the state assembly on Monday.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
