Court Allows Former CM Hemant Soren To Attend Jharkhand Assembly Floor Test, Rejects ED's Objection

The decision comes amidst allegations of money laundering and fraudulent land acquisition against Soren, for which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had sought his custody for five days.

The court's directive allowing Soren to participate in the trust vote was issued after Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan moved a petition, submitting that Soren is Barhet MLA (Village in Saraiyahat Block in Dumka District of Jharkhand State) and as the sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the current Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha, Soren has a right to appear in the said Special Session of the Jharkhand State Legislative Assembly and participate in the said Session

Ranjan further clarified that the floor test session is scheduled to begin at 11 o'clock, as directed by the Governor, and as long as the session continues, Soren is expected to actively participate in the voting.

Advocate Zoheb Hossein, representing the ED, opposed the petition, asserting that permitting Soren to participate in the floor test while on a five-day remand would be improper. In response, AG Ranjan countered the argument, asserting that there would be nothing wrong if Soren fulfills his constitutional responsibility during the floor test.

Subsequently, the court allowed Soren's petition, with the Court verbally observing, "What will be wrong if he participates in a floor test for an hour."

CBI-cum-PMLA special judge Dinesh Rai presiding over the case directed Soren to maintain distance from the media during his appearance in the floor test.