ED Officials’ Relief As Jharkhand HC Rescinds Police Action Regarding Hemant Soren’s SC/ST Complaint
The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday granted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials a significant reprieve from state police action against them in relation to a complaint alleging Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act violations filed by former chief minister Hemant Soren. According to Dainik Jagran, the court also asked the state government for a statement.
The ED personnel had already received a notification from the Jharkhand Police requesting them to come in for interrogation. Jharkhand Police took action when Hemant Soren, the head of the JMM, filed a formal complaint against the agency detectives. Notably, on January 31, upon his resignation as the state’s chief minister, Hemant was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a suspected land scam.
After the agency was the target of a complaint, ED went to the High Court. The police were already barred by the court from taking any further action against the ED personnel.
On March 21, Ranchi Police sent ED authorities a notification under Section 41(A) of CrPC and requested that they participate in the probe, defying the court’s order. before response to this notification, ED filed an interlocutory application (IA) before the High Court.
The police notice against ED officers was postponed on Thursday by the High Court while it heard the ED’s motion. The police have also been told not to send out any notices until they get additional instructions. Additionally, the Jharkhand government has been given a week to provide a response to the interlocutory plea.
In the meanwhile, Sita Soren, Hemant Soren’s sister-in-law and a former member of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), made news on Tuesday when she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the month leading up to the elections, political parties are stepping up their attempts to win as many seats as they can. Numerous MLAs have been switching parties ahead of the elections.
