Former Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, has approached the Supreme Court seeking intervention in the delayed verdict on his plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Soren, informed a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta about the prolonged delay in the High Court’s decision on Soren’s plea.

Soren was apprehended on January 31st in connection with the case, subsequent to his resignation as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Following his resignation, party loyalist and state transport minister, Champai Soren, assumed the position of his successor. The arrest came after Soren underwent extensive questioning by the Enforcement Directorate for seven hours regarding the allegations.

The ED is currently investigating the purported “huge amounts of proceeds of crime” allegedly generated through the manipulation of official records, involving the fabrication of dummy sellers and purchasers through forged or bogus documents. These activities purportedly facilitated the acquisition of substantial parcels of land valued at crores of rupees.

Despite the High Court having reserved its verdict on Soren’s plea on February 28, there has been a notable delay in delivering a decision, prompting Soren to seek recourse from the apex court.