Ranchi PMLA court reserves Hemant Soren’s petition on attending budget session

Ranchi: The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) special court in Ranchi on Wednesday reserved its order in the former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s petition seeking permission to participate in the forthcoming budget session of Jharkhand assembly scheduled from February 23.

Advocate general (AG) Rajeev Ranjan, appearing for Soren, said the court will declare its order on Thursday.

Ranjan said that earlier, Soren sought permission to take part in the February 5 floor test from the same court, which was granted.

“I submitted that this is a budget session, and money bills will be introduced during this session. After the end of the argument, voting takes place,” the petition read.

Soren was arrested on January 31 in a case of money laundering involving the alleged illegal business of tribal land in Bargain. Since his arrest, he remained in ED remand for 13 days. While remaining in ED, he participated in a trust vote on February 5. Presently Soren is in judicial remand and wants again to remain present during the assembly session.

ED’s advocate Zoheb Hussain argued virtually from Delhi. An advocate present in the court said that Hussain opposed the petition, saying the constitutional right of a person in judicial custody is suspended. He said the trial court is not supposed to give any order in this matter.

“Hussain said that there should be no separate yardstick to grant permission to exercise constitutional rights otherwise a government official in judicial custody may also say that his presence in the office is a must as there are important meetings in which he is supposed to take important decisions,” the advocate said.

Advocate Ranjan quoting the petition, said that earlier Dhullu Mahto and Nalin Soren were granted permission to participate in the assembly while remaining in judicial custody.