Breaking: Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Hemant Soren's Plea Against His Arrest

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to hear the plea of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. The JMM leader was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to a land scam. 

The apex court asked the JMM leader to approach the High Court. The SC said that the High Court should hear Soren's petition soon. A special bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi asked senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Soren, to seek relief from the high court.

Sibal said, "In these kinds of cases, this court needs to send a message. Here, we are dealing with a chief minister, who has been arrested. Please see the evidence. This is not fair".

Justice Khanna told Sibal, "First, the courts are open to everybody. Second, high courts are also constitutional courts. If we permit one person to approach the apex court, then we will have to permit everyone".

Sibal, who appeared along with senior advocates Abhishek Singhvi and Arunabh Chowdhury, said, "Your lordships have this discretion. This is a case where that discretion ought to be exercised".

Soren, who had to step down as Jharkhand chief minister in the face of his imminent arrest, in his plea before the top court had accused the ED of arresting him as part of a "well-orchestrated conspiracy" by the Centre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due months from now.

In his plea, filed through advocate Pragya Baghel before the apex court, Soren has urged it to declare his arrest as unwarranted, arbitrary, and in violation of his fundamental rights.

Soren was arrested on January 31 in a money laundering case linked to "illegal" possession of huge parcels of land and alleged association with the "land mafia".

(With PTI inputs)