Relief for Soren in poll code violation case, HC stays proceedings

A bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi said that no coercive steps can be taken against Soren, directing the state government to file a reply in the matter.

Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday stayed the proceedings against Chief Minister Hemant Soren at a court in Jamshedpur, which was hearing a case registered in 2014, accusing him of model code of conduct violation.

A bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi said that no coercive steps can be taken against Soren, directing the state government to file a reply in the matter.

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Soren had challenged in the high court the proceedings pending against him at the Jamshedpur court, arising out of a case registered in the Adityapur police station during the 2014 assembly elections.

The high court will again hear the matter after six weeks.

Soren has been accused of violating the model code of conduct as he campaigned beyond the stipulated time for the candidate of his party, the JMM.

The high court had in 2022 quashed another similar case against him. In that case, Soren was accused of wearing a sash with the JMM logo while going to cast his vote during the 2019 assembly polls.