Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren delivers a video message before his arrest by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in connection with a money laundering case.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday approached the Supreme Court against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case arising out of a land scam, triggering a political turmoil in the state.
A special bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, M M Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi would hear Soren's petition at 10.30 am on Friday.
On Thursday, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and A M Singhvi mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on behalf of Soren and sought urgent hearing.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the ED contended a similar petition has been filed in the Jharkhand High Court.
Sibal, however, said the petition from the High Court would be withdrawn.
The counsel for Soren contended this was a very serious matter, as the Chief Minister was arrested just months before the general elections which would have an adverse effect on the polity of the country.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju also for the ED said there were serious charges against the petitioner.
Soren's counsel claimed he was arrested at 5 pm on Wednesday, though the arrest memo said it was done at 10 pm.
The bench said it would consider the matter on Friday.
A special bench led by the CJI was formed to take up mentioning on behalf of Soren.
The CJI is presiding over a seven judge bench to hear a matter related to minority status of Aligarh Muslim University.
In a swift turn of events, the ED arrested Soren on Wednesday before he was taken to Governor's House to submit his resignation as Chief Minister of the state.