Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], September 19 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state spokesperson Pratul Sahdeo on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren following the Jharkhand High Court’s dismissal of his plea in the alleged Bargain land scam case, terming him the "most corrupt Chief Minister of the most corrupt government in Jharkhand's history" and asserting that he is set to become the first sitting Chief Minister to appear before a court for the framing of charges.
Reacting to the High Court’s order clearing the decks for trial proceedings before the Special PMLA Court, Sahdeo said the Chief Minister's tenure would be remembered for allegations of corruption.
"I believe he will probably be the first Chief Minister of the country who, while serving as Chief Minister, will now have to appear before a court. He had filed a discharge petition in the PMLA court, which was dismissed. He appealed to the High Court, and it was dismissed there as well. Serious allegations of money laundering and illegally acquiring land were made against Hemant Soren-ji, leading to his arrest. Following that, he even went missing for 40 hours—Jharkhand was left without a Chief Minister. How can anyone forget such incidents? Hemant Soren-ji is the most corrupt Chief Minister of the most corrupt government in Jharkhand's history. History will remember him, but certainly not in a favourable way. The Chief Minister will now have to appear before the PMLA court, although reports suggest he is exploring legal options," Sahdeo told ANI.
Accusing the ruling dispensation of deceiving the tribal population, Sahdeo added, "However, we believe that this corrupt government promised to work for the welfare of tribal communities and the sons of the soil, but worked solely for their own self-interest. The looting that took place in Jharkhand is unprecedented."
Meanwhile, countering the BJP’s sharp criticism, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Manoj Pandey expressed confidence in the judicial process, stating that the Chief Minister would be vindicated in court.
"We respect the judiciary, and we are hopeful that we will receive justice from this very judiciary... We will certainly get justice. We will wait... the arguments will be presented effectively in court," Pandey said.
The political exchange comes after the Jharkhand High Court rejected Soren's interlocutory application seeking to stay proceedings before the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi, which had earlier dismissed his discharge plea and scheduled the matter for the framing of charges.
In his latest interlocutory application (IA), Soren had prayed for an interim freeze on all proceedings before the special court, arguing that the trial could not move forward because the required prior government sanction to prosecute him as a public servant had not been granted by the Governor.
However, the single-judge bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad rejected Soren’s arguments, observing that the legal protection of government sanction is meant to protect public servants performing genuine official work from harassment, and cannot be used as a blanket shield against criminal allegations.
The High Court observed that the accusations against Soren—which involve the alleged illegal acquisition and possession of 8.86 acres of tribal land in Baragain and the manipulation of government revenue records—prima facie have no connection with the lawful discharge of official duties as Chief Minister.
The bench further pointed out that whether an act is linked to official duty is a matter to be examined through evidence during the trial itself. The court added that the absence of sanction at this preliminary stage cannot be a reason to halt the proceedings, noting that any unnecessary delay at the start of a criminal case could harm the preservation of evidence.
Clarifying that its observations were preliminary and solely for deciding the stay petition, the High Court directed the Special PMLA Court to proceed with the case strictly in accordance with law, without being influenced by the order. The High Court has posted Soren's main petition challenging the rejection of his discharge for its next hearing on October 14. (ANI)
"Most corrupt Chief Minister": BJP's Pratul Sahdeo slams Hemant Soren after Jharkhand HC order
