Ranchi court summons Hemant Soren for disobeying ED notices in PMLA case
Hemant Soren next month holding him prima facie guilty of disobeying notices issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate. The agency had filed a complaint against the senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader last month, stating he failed to join the investigation in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land grab case even after seven summonses were issued to him under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The first such notice was issued to Soren for his appearance before the ED on August 14 last year.
Hemant Soren should be prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code section 174 (non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had requested the court in its complaint filed under sections of the PMLA and the IPC.
The former CM was arrested by the federal probe agency on January 31 on money laundering charges following a second round of questioning at his official residence in Ranchi. He resigned as chief minister before he was arrested. The 48-year-old JMM leader is under judicial custody at present.
«From the contents of the complainant (ED) and the material placed on record, prima facie offence under section 174 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, is made out and there are sufficient grounds for proceedings under Section 204 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, against accused Hemant Soren,» the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Krishna Kant Mishra said in its order issued on Monday.
«Office is directed to issue summons for
