NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Enforcement Directorate to file its response to a plea by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for interim bail to campaign during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren that the matter would require time for hearing.
The court asked the ED to file its reply on Monday and fixed Soren's plea for consideration on Tuesday.
Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31.
On May 3, the Jharkhand High Court dismissed Soren's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.
The High Court, in its order, had said Soren can't wriggle out the mess he created for himself by raising a bogey of political vendetta.
Soren was being investigated for money laundering charges in connection with an illegal mining case, as well as an alleged land scam in Ranchi.
The Enforcement Directorate, investigating both cases, claimed that approximately Rs 8.5 acres of property in question constituted proceeds of crime.
On May 17, Additional solicitor general S V Raju, appearing for the ED, submitted that they have strong evidence to connect Soren with the patch of land in contention.
He also contended the petitioner's regular bail was also rejected.
Sibal said that the land in question was never in his clients possession.
He asked the court to grant him interim bail to campaign during the remaining phases of the general elections.
With regard to a plea for interim bail for Soren, Raju said that he was arrested long ago and four phases of elections are already over.
The bench told Sibal that the court will have to be prima satisfied with his submission and the matter would require to be heard.
The court fixed the matter for consideration on May 21.
