Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren today failed to appear before a local court, which is hearing afresh the 1974 Kodko double murder case in which Soren is the lone accused.
The court of ADJ (Fast-track-9) Mohammad Qasim fixed June three as the next date for hearing.
The court will start fresh hearing after the case was transfered to it following a request by the First Additional District and Sessions court of N N Singh, on April 16, which had already concluded hearing and reserved its judgement on April 3.
An FIR was filed on April 15, 1974 by one Bahadur Singh accusing Soren of heading a group that allegedly killed Khirodar Singh and Chundi Singh following slaughter of a goat at Kudko village under Pirtand police station. The charge-sheet was filed in 1978.
Soren is the sole accused now since eight others were acquitted in 1986.