Jharkhand HC dismisses Soren's petition against ED summons

The Jharkhand High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, challenging issuance of summons by the ED to him in a case of alleged money laundering.

A bench of Chief Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra and Justice Ananda Sen observed that the period of appearance in the summons has already lapsed and hence, there is no merit in the case.

The Enforcement Directorate had sent summons to Soren to depose at the federal agency's office in Ranchi on August 14 and on a later date to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Soren had stated in his petition that the summons issued to him by the probe agency were unwarranted.

The chief minister moved the high court after the Supreme Court refused to entertain his plea on the summons. A bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Bela M Trivedi, however, had granted him the liberty to approach the Jharkhand High Court for relief in the matter.