Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren got a relief on Monday from the Supreme Court as the top court set aside a high court order. The order by the Jharkhand high court had upheld the maintainability of a public interest litigation (PIL) for a probe against the chief minister in a mining lease case. Earlier this year, Hemant Soren had said that a petition - seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) into a stone mining lease case - was an attempt to “destabilise the democratically-elected state government”.
In an affidavit filed in the HC, Soren had also alleged that the petitioner held a “personal grudge” against him and that his (the petitioner’s) had allegedly tried to implicate Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) founder Shibu Soren in a murder case in 2006
The Election Commission had also started a probe into the matter following claims that a mining lease on government land was granted to Soren last year, which amounts to holding an “office of profit”.
Meanwhile, the state has been witnessing a lot of political turbulence. Last week, the ruling coalition - comprising JMM, Congress and RJD - had hit the streets, alleging misuse of central agencies by the BJP.
Soren had also skipped a summon by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this month, as he said: “Come and arrest me if I have committed corruption. Why send the summons for questioning? Come and arrest me straight away, then people will give you an adequate reply."
{{/usCountry}}Soren had also skipped a summon by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this month, as he said: “Come and arrest me if I have committed corruption. Why send the summons for questioning? Come and arrest me straight away, then people will give you an adequate reply."
{{/usCountry}}Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais is also involved in the matter and has sought a second opinion from the Election Commission in the most recent update.