News Analysis India

Tag: Jharkhand High Court

  • Will seek Interpol help to crack Dhanbad judge murder case: CBI to Jharkhand High Court 

    By PTI

    RANCHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has petitioned before the Jharkhand High Court informing a bench that it will seek the help of Interpol to crack the Dhanbad judge murder case.

    The agency informed a division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad on Friday that it has come across some digital evidence which needs to be verified from the WhatsApp headquarters in the US.

    The CBI has already shot a letter to the Union Home Ministry for its approval to take help from Interpol, the court was informed.

    In the course of proceedings, the bench was informed that WhatsApp chats have been gathered from the accused persons which indicates the involvement of more people in the conspiracy behind the death of Dhanbad district court judge Uttam Anand on July 28 last year.

    A team of CBI sleuths will have to go to the headquarters of WhatsApp in the US and recover chat details to reach to the bottom of the conspiracy.

    The court ordered the agency to furnish a status report on the matter and file an affidavit. The case will be heard again on October 14.

    Earlier, WhatsApp representatives had appeared before the Jharkhand High Court through Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal and assured the court of all cooperation in the investigation.

    Last month, a special CBI court in Dhanbad had announced the quantum of punishment and sentenced an autorickshaw driver and another person to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Anand.

    Besides imprisonment till death, the bench slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on both convicts under IPC Section 302 (murder).

    The CBI judge had also sentenced the duo to seven years in jail and imposed Rs 10,000 fine on each under IPC Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, giving false information to protect offender).

    Both sentences will run concurrently. Anand was hit by a heavy autorickshaw on July 28 last year at Randhir Verma Chowk close to district court while he was jogging around 5.30 am. He died the same day.

    CCTV camera footage showed that the judge was jogging on one side of a fairly wide road at Randhir Verma Chowk in Dhanbad when the three-wheeler veered towards him, hit him from behind and fled the scene.

    An SIT was initially formed to probe the matter, but the Jharkhand government later handed over the case to the CBI.

    RANCHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has petitioned before the Jharkhand High Court informing a bench that it will seek the help of Interpol to crack the Dhanbad judge murder case.

    The agency informed a division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad on Friday that it has come across some digital evidence which needs to be verified from the WhatsApp headquarters in the US.

    The CBI has already shot a letter to the Union Home Ministry for its approval to take help from Interpol, the court was informed.

    In the course of proceedings, the bench was informed that WhatsApp chats have been gathered from the accused persons which indicates the involvement of more people in the conspiracy behind the death of Dhanbad district court judge Uttam Anand on July 28 last year.

    A team of CBI sleuths will have to go to the headquarters of WhatsApp in the US and recover chat details to reach to the bottom of the conspiracy.

    The court ordered the agency to furnish a status report on the matter and file an affidavit. The case will be heard again on October 14.

    Earlier, WhatsApp representatives had appeared before the Jharkhand High Court through Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal and assured the court of all cooperation in the investigation.

    Last month, a special CBI court in Dhanbad had announced the quantum of punishment and sentenced an autorickshaw driver and another person to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Anand.

    Besides imprisonment till death, the bench slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on both convicts under IPC Section 302 (murder).

    The CBI judge had also sentenced the duo to seven years in jail and imposed Rs 10,000 fine on each under IPC Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, giving false information to protect offender).

    Both sentences will run concurrently. Anand was hit by a heavy autorickshaw on July 28 last year at Randhir Verma Chowk close to district court while he was jogging around 5.30 am. He died the same day.

    CCTV camera footage showed that the judge was jogging on one side of a fairly wide road at Randhir Verma Chowk in Dhanbad when the three-wheeler veered towards him, hit him from behind and fled the scene.

    An SIT was initially formed to probe the matter, but the Jharkhand government later handed over the case to the CBI.

  • Advocate Rajeev Kumar granted bail by a Kolkata court in extortion case

    By Express News Service

    RANCHI: Advocate Rajeev Kumar was finally been granted bail by a lower court in Kolkata on Monday. Kumar was arrested by West Bengal Police from Kolkata on July 31, allegedly with Rs 50 lakh in his possession, on the charges of blackmailing a businessman after filing a PIL against him in Jharkhand High Court.

    Kumar’s colleague Vijay Ranjan Sinha at Jharkhand High Court confirmed that he has been granted bail by a Special Court at Bankshall in Kolkata. Earlier, the court had rejected Kumar’s bail petition on the ground that he is an influential person and may influence the probe.

    Notably, Kumar is instrumental in filing PILs seeking a probe against CM Hemant Soren for the alleged irregularities in the grant of mining leases and also on transactions of some shell companies purportedly operated by his family members and associates. Kumar is currently lodged at Alipur Jail in Bengal after being arrested by Kolkata police.

    Advocate Rajeev Kumar had reportedly filed a PIL in Ranchi High Court against a Kolkata-based businessman and was asking Rs 10 crore to withdraw the PIL. 

    After negotiations, he allegedly settled at Rs 1 crore for which the first instalment of Rs 50 lakh was paid and he was caught red-handed with it. Later, the case was taken over by the Enforcement Directorate, which also secured police custody for Kumar by a special PMLA court of Prabhat Kumar Sharma in Ranchi. 

    The ED informed the court that the agency lodged an ECIR in Ranchi and Rajiv Kumar is the accused in this case. But Kumar may not be able to come out of jail very soon as Enforcement Directorate has taken over his case for investigation making him an accused person. 

    Now, he will be under the custody of the ED till he secures bail from the special PMLA court in Ranchi.

    RANCHI: Advocate Rajeev Kumar was finally been granted bail by a lower court in Kolkata on Monday. Kumar was arrested by West Bengal Police from Kolkata on July 31, allegedly with Rs 50 lakh in his possession, on the charges of blackmailing a businessman after filing a PIL against him in Jharkhand High Court.

    Kumar’s colleague Vijay Ranjan Sinha at Jharkhand High Court confirmed that he has been granted bail by a Special Court at Bankshall in Kolkata. Earlier, the court had rejected Kumar’s bail petition on the ground that he is an influential person and may influence the probe.

    Notably, Kumar is instrumental in filing PILs seeking a probe against CM Hemant Soren for the alleged irregularities in the grant of mining leases and also on transactions of some shell companies purportedly operated by his family members and associates. Kumar is currently lodged at Alipur Jail in Bengal after being arrested by Kolkata police.

    Advocate Rajeev Kumar had reportedly filed a PIL in Ranchi High Court against a Kolkata-based businessman and was asking Rs 10 crore to withdraw the PIL. 

    After negotiations, he allegedly settled at Rs 1 crore for which the first instalment of Rs 50 lakh was paid and he was caught red-handed with it. Later, the case was taken over by the Enforcement Directorate, which also secured police custody for Kumar by a special PMLA court of Prabhat Kumar Sharma in Ranchi. 

    The ED informed the court that the agency lodged an ECIR in Ranchi and Rajiv Kumar is the accused in this case. But Kumar may not be able to come out of jail very soon as Enforcement Directorate has taken over his case for investigation making him an accused person. 

    Now, he will be under the custody of the ED till he secures bail from the special PMLA court in Ranchi.

  • Enforcement Directorate gets 8 day remand of Advocate Rajeev Kumar for blackmailing businessman

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: Enforcement Directorate on Thursday secured an 8-day remand of advocate Rajiv Kumar, who is currently lodged at Alipur Jail in Bengal after being arrested by Kolkata police on July 31 along with Rs 50 lakh cash from his possession, on the charges of blackmailing a Kolkata-based businessman Amit Agrawal after filing a PIL against him in Jharkhand High Court. The special PMLA court of Prabhat Kumar Sharma of Ranchi civil court granted police custody of Rajiv Kumar to ED, effective from August 20.

    Allegedly, Kumar had filed a PIL in Ranchi High Court against a Kolkata-based businessman and was asking Rs 10 crore to withdraw the PIL. After negotiations, he allegedly settled at Rs 1 crore for which the first instalment of Rs 50 lakh was paid and he was caught red-handed with it.

    Kumar was produced before the PMLA court through video conferencing. The ED submitted before the special PMLA court that the agency has taken up a case for an investigation related to the seizure of Rs 50 lakh from the possession of Rajiv Kumar in which his police remand will be required.

    The FIR was originally lodged by the Kolkata police at Hare Street police station. The ED informed the court that the agency lodged an ECIR in Ranchi and Rajiv Kumar is the accused in this case.

    RANCHI: Enforcement Directorate on Thursday secured an 8-day remand of advocate Rajiv Kumar, who is currently lodged at Alipur Jail in Bengal after being arrested by Kolkata police on July 31 along with Rs 50 lakh cash from his possession, on the charges of blackmailing a Kolkata-based businessman Amit Agrawal after filing a PIL against him in Jharkhand High Court. The special PMLA court of Prabhat Kumar Sharma of Ranchi civil court granted police custody of Rajiv Kumar to ED, effective from August 20.

    Allegedly, Kumar had filed a PIL in Ranchi High Court against a Kolkata-based businessman and was asking Rs 10 crore to withdraw the PIL. After negotiations, he allegedly settled at Rs 1 crore for which the first instalment of Rs 50 lakh was paid and he was caught red-handed with it.

    Kumar was produced before the PMLA court through video conferencing. The ED submitted before the special PMLA court that the agency has taken up a case for an investigation related to the seizure of Rs 50 lakh from the possession of Rajiv Kumar in which his police remand will be required.

    The FIR was originally lodged by the Kolkata police at Hare Street police station. The ED informed the court that the agency lodged an ECIR in Ranchi and Rajiv Kumar is the accused in this case.

  • Ranchi violence: Jharkhand government not taking interest into the investigation, says HC

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: Disappointed with the ongoing probe being conducted into the violence which took place in Ranchi during a protest march on June 10 against the controversial statement given by BJP leader Nupur Sharma, the Jharkhand High Court on Friday observed that the State Government is not taking proper interest in into the matter. 

    During the hearing, the court also wondered why the CCTV footage is not being verified and the investigation was handed over to the CID and SSP was removed despite the fact that he was present at the spot on that very day.

    The Court was hearing a PIL filed by Pankaj Yadav demanding an NIA investigation into the entire incident.

    “The division bench of Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad expressed disappointment over the State Government not giving satisfactory reply in the matter and said that why they are not investigating the case on the basis of the CCTV footage obtained from different locations. The Court observed that it appears that the state government is least interested in getting the case investigated properly and directde the Home Secretary and DGP to file an affidavit in this regard,” said Jharkhand High Court Advocate Association.

    Treasurer, Dheeraj Kumar. The court also expressed its displeasure over removing the then SSP and handing over the case to CID after taking it from the special investigation team formed for the purpose, he added.

    During the last hearing, the Court had asked State Government why the matter should not be handed over to NIA The Court, after learning that NIA has also conducted a preliminary inquiry into the matter, directed it to file an affidavit and tell whether the matter could be handed over to it or not.

    Notably, an altercation had taken place between Police and an unruly crowd, which went violent while protesting against the controversial statement given by senior BJP leader Nupur Sharma against the Prophet Muhammad on June 10 this year.

    Police had to resort to firing and applying lathi-charge in order to disperse the crowd, which resulted into the killing of two persons and over a dozen others were injured after receiving bullet injuries.

    RANCHI: Disappointed with the ongoing probe being conducted into the violence which took place in Ranchi during a protest march on June 10 against the controversial statement given by BJP leader Nupur Sharma, the Jharkhand High Court on Friday observed that the State Government is not taking proper interest in into the matter. 

    During the hearing, the court also wondered why the CCTV footage is not being verified and the investigation was handed over to the CID and SSP was removed despite the fact that he was present at the spot on that very day.

    The Court was hearing a PIL filed by Pankaj Yadav demanding an NIA investigation into the entire incident.

    “The division bench of Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad expressed disappointment over the State Government not giving satisfactory reply in the matter and said that why they are not investigating the case on the basis of the CCTV footage obtained from different locations. The Court observed that it appears that the state government is least interested in getting the case investigated properly and directde the Home Secretary and DGP to file an affidavit in this regard,” said Jharkhand High Court Advocate Association.

    Treasurer, Dheeraj Kumar. The court also expressed its displeasure over removing the then SSP and handing over the case to CID after taking it from the special investigation team formed for the purpose, he added.

    During the last hearing, the Court had asked State Government why the matter should not be handed over to NIA The Court, after learning that NIA has also conducted a preliminary inquiry into the matter, directed it to file an affidavit and tell whether the matter could be handed over to it or not.

    Notably, an altercation had taken place between Police and an unruly crowd, which went violent while protesting against the controversial statement given by senior BJP leader Nupur Sharma against the Prophet Muhammad on June 10 this year.

    Police had to resort to firing and applying lathi-charge in order to disperse the crowd, which resulted into the killing of two persons and over a dozen others were injured after receiving bullet injuries.

  • Jharkhand HC reserves order on maintainability of PIL seeking probe against CM Hemant Soren

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court kept its order reserved on the maintainability of PIL seeking investigation against Chief Minister Hemant Soren for alleged irregularities in the grant of mining leases and also on transactions of some shell companies purportedly operated by his family members and associates.

    Disposing of a special leave petition filed by the Jharkhand Government on May 24, the Supreme Court had directed Jharkhand High Court to first decide on the maintainability of the PIL before proceeding further as per law.

    According to the PIL filed by an RTI activist Shiv Shankar Sharma, CM Soren and his brother Basant Soren invested black money through businessmen Ravi Kejriwal, Ramesh Kejriwal, Amit Agrawal and several others in 28 small companies to get them converted into white money. Sharma in his PIL also demanded probe by the CBI and ED into the shell companies which are being run in other states including Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

    “After hearing all sides on the issue of maintainability of the PIL and kept its order reserved till June 3,” said petitioner’s Counsel Rajeev Kumar. As soon as the hearing started, senior counsel Kapil Sibal appearing on behalf of the Jharkhand Government demanded dismissal of the petition saying that the petition was motivated and has been filed with ulterior motives by the petitioner.

    Petitioner’s lawyer Rajiv Kumar said that other than the chief minister, a mining lease was issued in the favour of his brother and MLA Basant Soren and many persons close to him. The court asked Mukul Rohtagi to explain whether or not mining leases were issued to the CM, Basant Soren and others.

    Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate, however, stressed on CBI inquiry based on the facts found by the central agency during the raids conducted by it in Jharkhand in connection with MNREGA scam.

    The material collected shows involvement of people sitting on the top positions and the state government agencies won’t be able to conduct an inquiry, he said. 

    Mehta was also of the view that the credentials of a petitioner could be challenged, but a petition can’t be dismissed just because of certain limitations on technicalities and PIL rules. Mehta said the High court has enough power under Article 226 of the Constitution to even take suo moto cognisance and order inquiry to ensure justice, even if the petition is not as per rules.

    Senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi, appearing on behalf of Hemant Soren, also questioned the credentials of the petitioner and informed the court about the previous involvement of his father in a case related to Shibu Soren.

    “Soren’s Counsel informed the court that the petition has been filed with ulterior motive and the petitioner is targeting the chief minister due to personal enmity with his family,” said Amritansh Vats, who is assisting Rohtagi in the case.

  • Jharkhand HC reserves order on maintainability of PIL seeking probe against CM Hemant Soren

    By PTI

    RANCHI: The High Court of Jharkhand on Wednesday reserved its order on the point of maintainability of the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a probe against Chief Minister Hemant Soren for alleged irregularities in the grant of mining leases and also on transactions of some shell companies purportedly operated by his family members.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Dr.Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad concluded the hearing of the PIL filed by Shiv Shankar Sharma and will deliver the order on June 3.

    The high court in compliance with the Supreme Court directive of May 24 will decide the issue as to whether the public interest litigation is maintainable or not before entering into the merits of the petition.

    The apex court had heard the matter on May 24 and directed Jharkhand HC to first hear preliminary objections on the maintainability of the petition .

    The state government had moved the Supreme Court challenging the maintainability of the petition which was being heard by the High Court of Jharkhand.

    Arguing on behalf of the state, former Union minister Kapil Sibal said that the petition filed by Shiv Shankar Sharma is contrary to the provisions of the Jharkhand High Court Rules.

    The Rules provide that in public interest litigation, the details of the petitioner and his credibility needs to be mentioned, which has not been complied with in the case filed by Sharma.

    Sharma’s counsel Rajeev Kumar defended the stand of the petitioner and said that all rules have been followed in filing the petition and the government is merely trying to stall the hearing of the case.

    Sharma in his petition has said that Chief Minister Hemant Soren while holding the portfolio of the mines department of the state has issued a mining lease for stones in his name.

    The mining lease was issued in June 2021 over 88 decimals of land in Angarha block in Ranchi.

    He has also alleged that Soren and his acquaintances are involved in the racket of running shell companies.

    A nexus has been drawn by Sharma’s counsel with the recent raids on the premises and properties of suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal who was the mines department secretary while Soren himself handled the portfolio of the mines department.

    Earlier a vacation bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Bela M Trivedi of the Supreme Court had noted that the high court had in its order of May 13 said it would first decide the maintainability of the PIL and then go into the merit of the allegations levelled in the petition.

    The top court also made it clear that it has not made any observation about the merit of the case and has not dealt with the allegations made in the petition.

  • Jharkhand HC to hear maintainability of PIL seeking probe against CM on June 1

    By PTI

    RANCHI: Jharkhand High Court Tuesday said it will hear the PIL seeking probe against Chief Minister Hemant Soren for alleged irregularities in the grant of mining lease and transaction of some shell companies purportedly operated by his associates on the point of its maintainability following the Supreme Court’s direction.

    A division of bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad while hearing the PIL filed by a person Shiv Shankar Sharma were apprised of the Supreme Court order that the petition should first be heard on the point of maintainability.

    The Apex Court heard the matter earlier in the day and directed Jharkhand HC to decide on the maintainability of the petition first.

    The HC adjourned the matter and said it will hear it again on June 1.

    Kapil Sibal, the counsel for the state government, had earlier informed the HC that the government has challenged the PIL in Supreme Court.

    A vacation bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Bela M Trivedi of the Supreme Court noted that the high court had in its order of May 13 said it would first decide the maintainability of the PIL and then go into the merit of the allegations levelled in the petition.

    “We are of the considered view that the high court would first deal with the preliminary objections on the maintainability of the writ petition and based on the outcome it would then proceed further in accordance with law”, the bench said.

    The top court also made it clear that it has not made any observation with regard to the merit of the case and has not dealt with the allegations made in the petition The Jharkhand government has moved the top court against the orders of the high court.

    The public interest litigation had stated that Hemant Soren had a mining license issued in his favour while holding the office of the chief minister of the state.

    It also said that Pooja Singhal, the mining department secretary who is in enforcement directorate remand had floated shell companies to launder money.

    The HC had earlier ordered Soren to file an affidavit to explain his stand in the matter.

    The affidavit filed by the government was signed by Ranchi deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan.

    Ranjan apparently is an accused in a corruption case prosecuted by the Anti Corruption Bureau.

    The HC was opposed to an accused filing an affidavit as it is contrary to the rules and had ordered Ranjan to file an affidavit to explain and inform the status of the case against him pending before a vigilance court.

    Ranjan is accused of felling five teak wood trees in the official bunglow while he was posted as the deputy commissioner of Koderma.

    In the hearing at the apex court advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Jharkhand government, said that the PIL petitioner has suppressed material facts that he has filed several PILs against Soren.

    He referred to the rules of Jharkhand HC on PILs of 2010 and said that Sharma’s petition should not have been entertained by the High Court as there was no full disclosure of previous litigations.

    Instead the HC has ordered to implead the registrar of companies, ministry of corporate affairs, as respondents.

    Sibal said that on May 17 the Enforcement Directorate had filed an affidavit in a sealed cover in the PIL.

    “The question is can some extraneous material be brought in a sealed cover of some other case not related to the PIL be brought before the court. Can the High Court look into it,” he said.

    The bench said that the HC, even if it holds that the petitioner is not bonafide, can take suo motu cognizance of the matter.

    Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED and Ministry of Corporate Affairs, said that there are some observations made but an affidavit has been filed by the ED as during a raid in connection with some other FIRs registered in 2012 it had come in possession of some material, which is the subject matter of the PIL.

    He said that notices were issued to the ED and CBI and therefore they were before the HC and referred to recoveries made in raids against Singhal, who was the state mining secretary at the time.

    “The raids were conducted by the ED in connection with 15 FIRs lodged in 2012 in connection with diversions of funds in the MGNREGA scheme in Khunti district, whose deputy commissioner was Singhal at the time.

    “During these raids, we found some material which was in connection with the grant of mining leases and transfer of funds to shell companies mentioned in the PIL”, Mehta said.

  • Political rivals behind PIL on mining lease to destabilise elected government: Hemant Soren​ tells Jharkhand HC

    By PTI

    RANCHI: Political rivals are behind the PIL on the issue of granting mining lease to him with the motive to destabilise the democratically elected government in the state, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has said in his affidavit to the Jharkhand High Court.

    The chief minister in his affidavit, filed through his lawyer Kundan Kumar Mishra, said that the contents of the PIL are akin to the letters and statements made by BJP accusing him of misusing his office of chief minister, but accepted that he was granted a lease for mining stones on 0.88 acres in Angarha block in the state.

    Soren in his affidavit claimed that he has not derived any profit or gain from the mining lease while he has been the chief minister of the state since 2019.

    The granting of the mining lease cannot be a reason for disqualification of his membership from the Assembly and the PIL should be dismissed with exemplary costs, it said.

    No mining activity has been carried out in the land as yet as the consent for mining has not yet been granted by the deputy commissioner of Ranchi district, under which Angarha falls.

    Soren had sent a letter in February this year to surrender the license granted to him and it has been accepted, the affidavit filed on Friday said.

    The HC on Friday deferred the hearing into the PIL due to the unavailibilty of the Bench.

    The PIL was filed by Shiv Shankar Sharma alleging that Soren has misused his office in obtaining the mining lease.

    The act is violation of the rule that public representatives are banned from holding an office of profit.

    Sharma has demanded an inquiry by central agencies like CBI and the ED into the mining lease granted to Soren by the state’s mines department headed by the chief minister himself.

    The HC while hearing the petition had issued a notice to Hemant Soren on April 8 to file his affidavit in the case even as the advocate general Rajiv Ranjan had informed that the chief minister has already surrendered the lease.

    Soren in his affidavit said that he had applied for a mining lease in his name in 2008 and was granted it for 10 years.

    The lease expired in May 2018 and fresh applications were invited by the Ranchi deputy commissioner.

    He had applied again in 2021 and the lease was again granted in his favour.

    “The lease was granted as per the terms and conditions of the Jharkhand Minor Minerals Concession Rules 2004 which was amended from time to time,” he said.

    His affidavit said, “The petitioner has been set up and the present petition has been caused to be filed by my political rivals to destabilise the democratically elected govenrment of the state of Jharkhand.”

    Soren has claimed “personal animosity and political rivalry” to be the reasons for him being pulled into the PIL and said that the petitioner Shiv Shankar Sharma is animus towards the Soren family for more than two decades.

    “His (Shiv Shankar Sharma) father Dr Gautam Sharma had, in 2006, deposed against my father Shibu Soren before a Delhi court to falsely implicate him in a murder case, in which my father was eventually acquitted by the high court and the Supreme Court,” the affidavit by Soren said.

    The affidavit, sworn on May 4 in Hyderabad when he was in the southern city for the treatment of his ailing mother, also said that the high court should verify the credentials of the petitioner of a PIL before issuing orders.

    Referring to the Supreme Court mandate on public interest litigations, it said that “extraneous and ulterior motives” of petitioners should be curbed by the high court.

    “…a mere comparison of the allegations contained in the petition submitted by the BJP and the allegations made in the present writ petition show that both are similar and the handiwork of the same person. It’s requested to dismiss the petition with exemplary costs to the petitioner as he is guilty of abuse of the process of law and with extraneous considerations,” the affidavit said.

    The chief minister has also cited previous Supreme Court judgment in the State of Uttarakhand Vs Balwant Singh Chaufal case of 2010 wherein the apex court had ruled that courts should prima facie verify the credentials of a petitioner for entertaining a PIL.

  • Jharkhand High Court defers hearing into Lalu Prasad Yadav’s petition in a fodder scam case

    By PTI

    RANCHI: Jharkhand High Court on Friday deferred the hearing into a petition filed by incarcerated RJD supremo Lalu Prasad challenging his conviction in a fodder scam case.

    73-year-old Prasad is in custody following his conviction and sentence by a CBI court in February in a fodder scam case involving embezzlement of over Rs 139 crore from Doranda treasury.

    RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was on Monday sentenced to five years in prison and slapped a fine of Rs 60 lakh by a special CBI court in Ranchi in connection with the fifth fodder scam case involving embezzlement of over Rs 139 crore by Doranda treasury.

    Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh was informed by CBI, which is investigating the scam that the earlier order of the court to file a counter affidavit in the matter could not be complied with by the agency and pleaded for more time.

    The case will now be heard on April 22.

    Prasad’s counsel Kapil Sibbal told the court that his client has already served more than half of the sentence of five years in prison in the case and deserves to be released from custody.

    Prasad was convicted by the CBI Court here on February 15.

    On February 21 he was sentenced to five years imprisonment and fined Rs 60 lakh in the fodder scam case.

    Prasad had held the finance portfolio of undivided Bihar, of which he was the chief minister, during the period of the scam.

    He had allegedly received heavy kickbacks through the animal husbandary department.

    Fake challans and bills were raised which were cleared by the finance department and money was released through the treasury.

    The scam in the Doranda treasury was pegged at Rs 139.35 crores during 1995-96.

  • Jharkhand HC issues notice to CM Hemant Soren for holding mining lease

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday, issued notice to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against him, for holding a mining lease in Angara block in Ranchi when he himself holds the mining portfolio.

    The PIL was filed by Shiv Shankar Sharma, seeking a probe into how Soren, despite being in charge of the mining department, misused his official position to obtain a mining lease.

    According to Advocate Rajiv Kumar, the petitioner’s advocate, the court issued notice to the Chief Minister asking how and under what circumstances he misused his official position.

    “Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad while hearing the PIL termed it “a serious matter” and ordered to issue a notice to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, asking to file an affidavit in this regard. The State Government will also have to file an affidavit separately in the matter,” said the advocate. During the hearing, the court observed that it seems ‘all is not well’ in the mining department, he added.

    According to the PIL filed in Jharkhand HC, Soren obtained a lease of 0.88 acre area at Angara block in Ranchi and a ‘Letter of Intent’ was issued by Ranchi District Mining Office on June 16, 2021. The petition further added that on September 9, Soren applied for environmental clearance of the said mine and by September 18, the clearance was given by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority.

    Meanwhile, advocate Rajeev Kumar filing an interlocutory application (IA) in the case, sought to ensure his safety as he had been threatened for filing the petition. After the petition was filed, Kumar allegedly was called by Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan at his official residence and threatened him of dire consequences.

    According to Advocate Rajiv Kumar, the State Government has also been asked to file an affidavit in this regard.