Legal setback for Hemant Soren as court frames charges in 8.86-acre land case

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will face trial in the Bargayin land scam case after a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi on Wednesday framed charges against him in connection with an alleged money laundering case involving 8.86 acres of land. Soren appeared before the court through video conferencing.The court's decision came after Soren failed to secure relief from the Jharkhand High Court, where he had challenged the proceedings before the special PMLA court and sought a stay on the framing of charges.With the charges now formally framed, the case will move to the trial stage, where evidence will be examined and witnesses will be heard.Soren's lawyer, Sanjeev Sahay, confirmed that the special PMLA court had framed charges against the Chief Minister. "The special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court framed charges against the Jharkhand chief minister and now put the matter for trial," he said.THE RANCHI LAND SCAM CASEThe case relates to an 8.86-acre parcel of land in the Bargayin area of Ranchi. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that the property was illegally acquired and transferred through manipulation of land records and the use of forged documents. The agency has linked the alleged transactions to its wider money laundering investigation.Soren has consistently denied the allegations and termed them baseless. The allegations made by the ED will now be tested during the trial through evidence and arguments presented by both sides.The latest development followed Soren's legal challenge against the proceedings before the special PMLA court. His counsel had sought relief against the lower court's decision and requested that the framing of charges be deferred until the ED investigation was concluded.The plea also raised objections concerning the legal provisions under which the petition had been filed.The Jharkhand High Court, however, declined to grant Soren relief and allowed the proceedings before the special PMLA court to continue.The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice MS Sonak and Justice Manoj Prasad. Senior Advocate S Nagamuthu appeared for Soren, while ASGI SV Raju, Senior Advocate Amit Kumar Das and Advocate Saurabh Kumar represented the ED through video conferencing.CHARGES AGAINST 17 OTHERSThe special PMLA court had already completed the process of framing charges against several other accused in the case.A total of 17 individuals have been named as accused following the ED investigation, with the proceedings against the other accused having been completed in separate stages. The framing of charges against Soren had remained pending.The case has been under investigation for allegations involving fraudulent land transactions, manipulation of official records and forged documents.Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31, 2024, in connection with the land-linked money laundering case after resigning as Chief Minister. The Jharkhand High Court later granted him bail, and he walked out of Birsa Munda jail on June 28, 2024.With the charges now framed, the case will proceed to trial before the special PMLA court.The prosecution is expected to present its evidence and examine witnesses, while the defence will have an opportunity to contest the allegations. The next proceedings will determine the subsequent course of the trial.- Ends