The Supreme Court dealt a blow to Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s aspirations to contest in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday.
Currently incarcerated in connection with a land scam case, Soren had sought interim bail to facilitate his election campaign. However, the apex court dismissed his plea.
Case So Far:
In a recent development, the Supreme Court turned down Soren’s petition for interim bail, filed by his legal representative, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal.
Despite efforts by Sibal to sway the court by presenting undisclosed information, the decision remained unaltered.
Furthermore, the court refused to entertain a separate plea challenging Soren’s arrest in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
This setback adds to Soren’s legal woes as he remains detained on charges linked to a land scam.
Expressing dissatisfaction over Soren’s alleged concealment of facts in his bail plea, the court highlighted that a trial court had already taken cognizance of the chargesheet on 4 April, raising concerns over withheld information.
Additionally, it noted that Soren’s regular bail application is pending before a lower court, a fact not disclosed to the Supreme Court.
In response, Sibal, representing Soren, admitted the oversight, attributing it to a lack of information.
While Soren will not face penalties for this lapse, the court’s vacation bench, comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, advised exploring alternative legal avenues, effectively closing the door on Soren’s plea for interim bail.
The denial of interim bail places Soren in a precarious situation, confined in Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi, unable to actively campaign for the impending Lok Sabha elections.
This setback not only impedes Soren’s political aspirations but also underscores the legal complexities he faces in the ongoing legal battles concerning the alleged land scam and money laundering charges.
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