Ranchi PMLA court frames charges against Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in Ranchi land case

Ranchi: A special PMLA court in Ranchi on Wednesday formally framed charges against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi’s Bargain circle.

This marks a significant step forward in the judicial proceedings in this case.

Soren appeared before the Special PMLA Court through video conferencing on Wednesday during the hearing.

After the framing of the charges, the trial is now set to proceed to the next stage.

A total of 17 persons have been named as accused in the case after the ED investigation.

Charges had already been framed against the remaining 16 accused in different phases, while the process concerning Soren was completed on Wednesday.

The case is related to the alleged fraudulent acquisition and laundering of proceeds connected to 8.86 acres of land in the Bargain circle area of Ranchi.

During the investigation, the ED examined alleged manipulation of land ownership and revenue records, as well as issues related to the purported illegal occupation of the land.

The prosecution before the Special PMLA Court is based on the findings and allegations made by the ED.

Before the framing of charges, Soren had approached the Jharkhand High Court seeking a stay on the proceedings before the trial court. He challenged a September 21 order of the Special PMLA Court through a criminal writ petition, arguing that the process of framing charges should not move forward until the ED completed its investigation.

The High Court on Wednesday declined to grant any immediate relief to the Chief Minister. It directed the ED to file a supplementary affidavit and provide a copy to the parties concerned.

The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for October 28. During the proceedings, legal questions were also raised regarding the maintainability of the writ petition, with the ED lodging objections on that ground.

With charges now framed against Soren, the judicial process has entered the trial phase. The prosecution will subsequently begin presenting evidence and examining witnesses before the court.

The defence, on the other hand, will be given an opportunity to present its case thereafter.

The proceedings will continue before the Special PMLA Court in accordance with the legal process.

IANS