Daijiworld Media Network - Ranchi
Ranchi, Jun 8: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren faced a significant legal setback on Monday after a special court dealing with cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) dismissed his application seeking discharge from a money laundering case linked to 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi's Badgai locality.
The court had earlier reserved its verdict after hearing submissions from both the prosecution and the defense. Delivering its order on Monday, the special PMLA court observed that the material available on record and the allegations presented were sufficient to continue proceedings against the accused at this stage. Consequently, Soren’s request to be discharged from the case was rejected.
The matter revolves around the alleged unlawful acquisition of 8.86 acres of land located in the Shanti Nagar area of Badgai, Ranchi, and the subsequent money laundering allegations arising from the transaction. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the case, has named Hemant Soren as one of the accused based on evidence collected during its investigation.
In his discharge petition, filed on December 5, 2025, Soren argued that the accusations were unfounded and unsupported by credible evidence. He maintained that he had been wrongly implicated and asserted that the ED lacked substantial proof to warrant criminal prosecution.
Opposing the plea, the ED contended that the investigation had yielded adequate documentary and evidentiary material to justify moving the case forward to trial. The agency urged the court to allow the judicial process to continue.
With the dismissal of the discharge application, the case will now proceed through the next stages of the legal process and is expected to move toward trial. Legal experts note that Soren retains the option of challenging the special court’s decision before a higher court.
The case has drawn considerable attention as it is the same investigation that led to Hemant Soren’s arrest in March 2024. Following his arrest, Champai Soren took over as Chief Minister before later joining the BJP. During the course of the probe, the ED carried out multiple searches and issued ten summonses to Hemant Soren for questioning.