The Jharkhand government has moved the Supreme Court against an order passed by the High Court accepting the maintainability of a plea seeking probe against Chief Minister Hemant Soren for alleged irregularities in granting mining leases and the transactions of shell companies said to be owned by his family members and close associates.
In a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed in the Supreme Court in 2022 by one Shiv Shankar Sharma, it was claimed that several shell companies were formed to launder money siphoned off from different welfare funds meant for Jharkhand. Mr. Sharma, in his petition, had also alleged that Mr. Soren and his family members and close acquaintances were involved in the formation of these shell companies. Mr. Sharma had sought investigation by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the allegations of corruptions, misuse of office and money laundering against Mr. Soren. Mr. Soren had strongly denied the allegations levelled against him.
While hearing the PIL petition on June 3 this year, a Division Bench of the Jharkhand High Court said it was of the opinion that the “writ petitions cannot be thrown away on the ground of maintainability and it will proceed to hear the matters on merit”.
Earlier, on May 24, the Supreme Court asked the Jharkhand High Court to first hear the preliminary objections on the maintainability of the PIL filed by Mr. Sharma and then it would go into the merit of allegations levelled in the petition. “The issue of maintainability should be dealt with by the Jharkhand HC on the next date of listing when the proceedings are taken up. Based on the outcome of the objections to the maintainability of the proceedings, the HC may thereafter proceed in accordance with law,” said the Supreme Court.
