Team News Riveting
New Delhi, November 7
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren today got a big relief from the Supreme Court as it ruled that the public interest litigation petition before the Jharkhand High Court alleging money laundering and irregularities in granting mining leases, is not maintainable.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) UU Lalit, with Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia allowed the appeal filed by the State government in this regard and set aside the order of the High Court that had held that the PIL was maintainable.
The Jharkhand High Court had earlier this year directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the allegations after a bench led by the Chief Justice of the High Court relied on a sealed cover report from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The High Court had initially rejected the State’s objection to acceptance of the sealed cover report. The Bench headed by the Chief Justice had directed the State to produce details of the 16 FIRs relating to an alleged MGNREGA scam, and took note of the fact that a Mining Secretary was arrested and suspended in connection with the matters.
The State had then approached the Supreme Court against the proceedings. The apex court had on May 24, directed the High Court to decide upfront the maintainability of the PILs filed by one Shiv Shankar Sharma.
Pursuant to that, the High Court on June 3 held that the proceedings were maintainable. The State then approached the apex court. The Supreme Court had in August stayed the proceedings before the Jharkhand High Court while reserving its verdict in the matter.
