The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s plea for relief against the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons in a case of alleged money laundering.
A bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Bela M Trivedi granted Soren the liberty to approach the Jharkhand High Court for relief in the matter, PTI reported.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi claimed in the court that this is a complete case of a witch-hunt.
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“Why don’t you go to the high court? No no, go to the high court. We will permit you to withdraw,” the bench told Mukul Rohatgi. The matter was dismissed as withdrawn.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, submitted that the issue is covered by a large number of judgments.
The matter relates to a probe being undertaken by the ED in connection with a case of illegal mining and the alleged fraudulent sale of land parcels in Ranchi.
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The agency had summoned Soren to appear before it on September 18 but since the challenge to it was also listed for hearing before the SC the same day, the ED re-issued the summons asking him to appear on September 23.
(With inputs from PTI)