Jharkhand High Court seeks ED reply on Hemant Soren's plea challenging arrest; next hearing on Feb 12

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], February 5 (ANI): The Jharkhand High Court on Monday sought a reply from the Enforcement Directorate on a petition filed by former Chief Minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the probe agency earlier this month in an alleged land "scam".
The Court has asked the ED to file the reply by February 9. The next hearing has been put up on February 12.
The court was hearing a petition by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren who was arrested following seven hours of grilling on Wednesday evening triggering a political crisis in the state. He has been facing questions by the probe agency in a money laundering case.
He has been facing questions from the probe agency in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land "scam"
Following his arrest, senior JMM leader Champai Soren took oath as the Chief Minister on Friday afternoon.
"Jharkhand High Court has sought a reply from ED on the petition filed by Hemant Soren against the arrest. HC has asked to file the reply by February 9. The next hearing is on February 12," They said.
Meanwhile, Hemant Soren on Monday reached the state Assembly here to participate in the floor test of his successor Champai Soren-led government to prove their majority.
Hemant, who represents the Barhait Assembly constituency in Sahibganj district, was brought by ED to the state Assembly.
The two-day special Jharkhand Assembly session begins today. The newly formed Champai Soren-led coalition government is scheduled to seek a trust vote.
In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has 29 seats, its ally Congress has 17 and the RJD and the CPI (ML) have 1 seat each.
With the support of 43 MLAs, the INDIA bloc has the numbers to sail through the floor test. The majority mark is 41.
The INDIA bloc MLAs who were shifted to Telangana fearing alleged poaching by the BJP arrived on Sunday evening for the floor test. (ANI)