New Delhi, April 29: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Enforcement Directorate (ED) on former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's plea seeking interim relief in a money laundering case. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta listed the matter for the second week of May to hear Soren's plea.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said that the Jharkhand High Court may pronounce the order in Soren's plea challenging his arrest in a money laundering case. Jharkhand High Court has reserved the order on Soren's plea on February 28 but the order is not yet pronounced. Aggrieved by the High Court for not deciding his plea, Soren moved the top court against it and in the meantime sought interim bail in the matter. Hemant Soren Bail Plea: Supreme Court Seeks ED's Response on Former Jharkhand CM's Interim Bail Plea in Money Laundering Case

On Monday, the apex court while hearing his plea observed the allegations relating to a plot of 8.5 acres. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, apprised that HC has not passed the order on Soren's plea challenging arrest and urged the top court for interim bail in the matter. Earlier, Soren sought an urgent hearing on the grounds of the ongoing Lok Sabha poll. In February, Jharkhand High Court reserved its decision on Soren's plea challenging his arrest

Soren, in his plea, has claimed that his arrest was unwarranted and his remand in the matter was arbitrary and illegal. Hemant Soren, who has filed the petition through advocate Pragya Baghel, called his arrest illegal and malafide. In the meantime, he has sought interim bail. After a prolonged moment of speculation in the media and a hide-and-seek drama, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chairperson Hemant Soren was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the land scam case in January. Money Laundering Case: Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Moves Supreme Court Seeking Relief

The probe pertains to huge amounts of proceeds of crime generated by forging official records by showing 'fake sellers' and purchasers in the guise of forged or bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land valued in crores.

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