The Jharkhand government has moved 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 lease and the transactions of shell companies allegedly owned by his family members and close associates.
In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed 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 are involved in formation of shell companies for benefit.
In his petition 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 the chief minister Hemant Soren. Mr Soren, however, had strongly denied allegations leveled 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 had asked the Jharkhand HC to first hear the preliminary objections on the maintainability of PIL filed by Mr Sharma and then it would go into the merit of allegations leveled in the petitions. “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 outcome of the objections to the maintainability of the proceedings, the HC may thereafter proceed in accordance with law”, said the Supreme Court.
