Legal Tussle: Jharkhand CM Challenges ED's Actions

The Jharkhand High Court has given the Enforcement Directorate (ED) three weeks to respond to an affidavit by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Soren has filed an FIR accusing ED officials of targeting him with 'humiliating' searches, to which the ED is seeking to respond.

In a legal confrontation intensifying in Jharkhand, the High Court on Thursday provided a three-week deadline for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to an affidavit from Chief Minister Hemant Soren. At the heart of the dispute is an FIR Soren filed, accusing ED officials of conducting actions aimed at humiliating him and the tribal community.

The case filed by Soren under the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste (Prevention of Atrocities) Act came after ED's searches at his residences in Delhi and Ranchi, which Soren claims were designed to malign his image and that of his community. The searches relate to a money laundering case tied to a land deal.

Contesting these charges, ED officials, including additional director Kapil Raj, have approached the High Court challenging the proceedings. Meanwhile, the ED has sought an extension to craft a comprehensive response to Soren's affidavit refuting their claims, signaling a deeply contentious legal battle ahead.

(With inputs from agencies.)