Special court reserves order in Hemant Soren case; ex-CM to be in one-day judicial custody

Soren was arrested on Wednesday night after a seven-hour grilling by the ED in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He resigned as the chief minister before that.

Ranchi: The special PMLA court here sent former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, to judicial custody for a day, lawyers said.

The ED sought 10 days remand for Soren. The court reserved its order for Friday.

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The JMM executive president has been sent to judicial custody for a day, lawyers said.

Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan, who appeared for Soren, said outside the court that the JMM leader was sent to judicial custody till an order was passed.

“The entire case is driven by wrong intentions. This is a conspiracy to topple the government. There is no evidence in the entire proceedings against the former chief minister. His arrest was made when proceedings were on to record his statement, which is illegal,” he said.

Soren was arrested on Wednesday night after a seven-hour grilling by the ED in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He resigned as the chief minister before that.

The JMM leader was taken to the Birsa Munda Birsa Munda Central Jail here.

As the ex-chief minister was brought outside the court building on the way to the jail, his supporters raised slogans like “Hemant Soren Zindabad”.

The JMM leader greeted them in response.