NEW DELHI/RANCHI, June 8 -- A special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Ranchi has rejected Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's plea seeking discharge in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam, paving the way for trial proceedings to continue.
Special PMLA Judge Yogesh Kumar held that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had placed sufficient material on record to establish a prima facie case against Soren. The court clarified that the current stage was not meant to determine guilt or innocence but only to assess whether enough evidence existed to proceed with the trial.
The ED's investigation centres on an 8.86-acre land parcel in Ranchi's Bariatu area. According to the court order, documents recovered during the probe, including land-related and administrative records, indicated repeated links between the property and Soren. The court observed that these materials were sufficient to warrant further examination during trial.
Rejecting arguments seeking discharge, the court said issues relating to the credibility of witnesses and admissibility of evidence could only be tested during the trial and not at the preliminary stage. It noted that the prosecution's version is to be taken at face value while deciding whether charges should proceed.
The ED has relied on statements of several individuals, including caretaker Santosh Munda and Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu, who allegedly provided details regarding the use and management of the property. Witnesses reportedly stated that Soren and his wife frequently visited the land.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.