Hemant Soren moves SC over delayed HC verdict on arrest plea

New Delhi: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court, saying the high court is not pronouncing verdict on his plea challenging arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, that the high court had reserved its verdict on February 28 on his plea but still no decision has been delivered. Sibal said they had approached the top court against his arrest on February 2 but the bench had asked them to move the high court for relief. “We have moved the Article 32 petition in the Hemant Soren matter. Your lordship said go to the high court. We went to the high court on February 4 and then the matter was finally heard on February 27-28. Now, the judgement has not been rendered in the plea till date,” he said. The senior lawyer said, “We again went to the high court and said we cannot move forward or backward unless the judgement is rendered. The judge said nothing. Now, the man will be inside and the elections will be over. Then where do we go?”

Justice Khanna asked whether a petition has been filed and if filed, then he can move an email to the secretariat of chief justice of India for listing. Sibal said, “If we say something, then they will say, we are attacking the judiciary” and sought listing of the petition on Friday.

Justice Khanna said he cannot say anything on the listing of the petition and the Chief Justice of India secretariat will give the date for listing of

the plea.