Hemant Soren case: Jharkhand HC issues stay on police notice to ED
An advocate familiar with the court order said the notice, issued on March 4, directed ‘no coercive action’ against ED officials in the matter
The Jharkhand high court has stayed a notice issued by the state police department to Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers under Section 41A in a case registered by former chief minister Hemant Soren on January 31 at ST/SC Police station.
An advocate familiar with the court order said the notice, issued on March 4, directed ‘no coercive action’ against ED officials in the matter.
Jharkhand government lawyer Piyush Chitresh confirmed the development. Advocate Amit Kumar Das argued on behalf of ED while Vineet Vashistha argued on behalf of Jharkhand Police.
“While issuing the stay, the high court observed that the police cannot issue 41A notice to ED officers and call them for questioning until further orders. The state government sought one week’s time to respond to the intervention petition filed by the ED in the matter. The court agreed and fixed the next date of hearing after a week,” the HC advocate said on condition of anonymity.
The FIR by Soren alleged that federal agency officials were “harassing and maligning him and his entire community”. Those named in the FIR included additional director Kapil Raj, assistant director Deovrata Jha besides other ED officers, including Anupam Kumar and Aman Patel.
The case was lodged on the same day ED interrogated Soren in a case of alleged illegal land dealings.
