Supreme Court stays criminal proceedings against Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren for evading summons

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the criminal proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for alleged wilful disobedience of summons issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on Soren's plea, in which he sought quashing of the case. In his plea before the apex court, Soren also challenged the repetitive summons issued to him by the ED.

During the hearing, the ED's counsel said that the trial is almost complete, seven summonses were issued, and he has not appeared even once.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Soren, said he appeared thrice and the ED arrested him.

The ED's counsel argued that the quashing petition was filed belatedly, one year after the magistrate took cognisance.

The bench, however, said, "Yesterday, we were reading in a newspaper that you (ED) have filed bulk complaints. Concentre and spend your energy on those complaints. You will have some constructive outcomes".

The court also said that the agency should focus on effective prosecution, "These are in terrorem prosecution. Purpose has been served," the bench said.

On January 15, the high court refused to quash the cognisance taken against Soren by a special MP-MLA court in a complaint case filed by the ED, dealing a setback to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader.

The ED had then filed a complaint case against Soren for not appearing before it despite summonses issued in connection with his alleged involvement in a land scam.