Ranchi, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren suffered a setback on Friday after the Jharkhand High Court dismissed his plea challenging the rejection of his discharge application in a money laundering case linked to 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi’s Bargain area.
The High Court upheld the order of the Special PMLA Court that had rejected Soren’s discharge plea, allowing the proceedings before the trial court to continue.
The matter is scheduled to come up before the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi on September 19, when Soren is expected to appear. The trial court can now proceed with the process of framing charges against him.
Soren had challenged the lower court’s order rejecting his discharge application and had also sought a stay on the proceedings. The High Court reserved its order after hearing arguments from both sides on September 16 and delivered its decision on Friday.
The case concerns the alleged illegal acquisition and transfer of 8.86 acres of land in Ranchi’s Bargain area. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating alleged money laundering in connection with the land transaction.
According to the ED, forged documents and other irregularities were allegedly used in the transfer of the property. The agency has filed a prosecution complaint against around 18 accused persons, including Soren.
Soren, in his discharge application, denied the allegations and argued that there was no sufficient direct evidence against him. His defence also questioned statements and circumstantial evidence relied upon by the ED.
The ED maintained that documents collected during the investigation, witness statements and circumstantial evidence were sufficient to establish a prima facie case. The agency argued that a detailed assessment of the evidence was not required at the stage of framing charges and should be undertaken during the trial.
On June 8, the Special PMLA Court rejected Soren’s discharge petition, observing that the material on record was sufficient to make out a prima facie case. The court had also clarified that it was not deciding the question of guilt at that stage.
Charges have already been framed against several other accused in the case, including Antu Tirkey and architect Vinod Kumar Singh.
With the High Court declining to interfere, the proceedings for framing charges against Soren are expected to move forward.
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