No Relief Against ED Summons To Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren In Money Laundering Case, SC Directs To Approach High Court

The Supreme Court declined to entertain Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's petition challenging the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons in a money laundering case on Monday (18 September).

Instead, the apex court directed him to approach the High Court for resolution, PTI reported.

As Soren's plea was slated for a hearing on Monday, the ED reissued a fresh summons, compelling his appearance on 23 September.

In November 2022, Soren had previously appeared before the ED concerning the 'Rs 1000 crore' illegal mining case in Sahebganj, which led to the arrest of his close associate and assembly representative, Pankaj Mishra.

Later, in August this year, Soren received a second summons from the ED. However, as reported by The Indian Express, it remained unclear which case he would be interrogated about.

At that time, Soren described the agency's actions as driven by malice and part of a political conspiracy to destabilize a democratically elected government. He had written to the agency, urging them to withdraw the summons, and threatened to seek legal remedies if they did not comply.

The ED is currently investigating various cases in Jharkhand under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).