Jharkhand news: Former CM Hemant Soren granted bail in land scam case

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on Friday, June 28, in a case related to a land scam.

He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 on accusations of manipulating records with fictitious transactions and using forged documents to acquire land. Soren resigned as the Chief Minister after ED's arrest on the same day.

Soren had been in judicial custody at Birsa Munda jail in Ranchi. Alongside Soren, others arrested in connection with the case include former revenue department sub-inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad, Mohammed Saddam Hussain, and Afshar Ali. The allegations centered around the illegal acquisition of an 8.86-acre plot in Ranchi.

Soren had applied for bail on April 16, arguing that his arrest was politically motivated, a claim he reiterated in earlier attempts for interim bail, including during the Lok Sabha election campaigns.

However, the Supreme Court refused interim bail for Soren for Lok Sabha election campaigns.

Hemant Soren, who became the Chief Minister for the fifth time in Jharkhand after the 2019 coalition victory of JMM, INC, and RJD, faced further challenges when the asked the Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais to disqualify Soren as the member of the assembly for getting a mining lease for himself breaking the electoral law.

The Enforcement Directorate is actively investigating five cases related to land scams based on FIRs filed by Jharkhand and Kolkata police. Their investigations have led to significant seizures, including approximately ₹1 crore in cash and 100 live bullet rounds during raids in Ranchi.

Prior to today's court decision, there were 55 searches and nine surveys conducted by the ED in various locations related to the land scam cases, uncovering evidence such as forged seals of the Land Revenue Department, records of proceeds of crime, and instances of bribery, along with photographs.

Following the news of his bail, supporters of Hemant Soren celebrated by distributing sweets at his residence in Ranchi.

(With inputs from agencies)