'Will finish the task I started': Hemant Soren after release from jail

NEW DELHI: Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren walked out of Ranchi's Birsa Munda Central Jail on Friday after the Jharkhand high court granted him bail in an alleged land scam case. Soren, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31, was received by his wife Kalpana Soren and JMM general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey.

"I was falsely implicated. A conspiracy was hatched against me and I was forced to spend five months in jail," Soren told reporters after his release. He expressed concern about the suppression of political leaders, social workers, and journalists in the country, alleging that those who raised their voices against the central government were being silenced. "I will finish the task I started, the war I waged," Soren declared.

Soren's advocate Arunabh Chowdhury confirmed the bail, saying, "The court has held that prima facie he is not guilty of the offence and there is no likelihood of the petitioner committing an offence when on bail." The court had reserved its order on June 13.

Soren said that, "I respect the judiciary. The court delivered its order and I am out (on bail). But the judicial process is long."

During the hearing central agency argued against granting bail to Soren, suggesting that he might reoffend, citing cases involving ED officers at the SC/ST police station.

The order was issued by a single bench presided over by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay. Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, representing Soren, argued that he was being unfairly targeted in a politically motivated and fabricated case.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also representing Soren, strongly contended for his bail, claiming he was falsely implicated by the ED.

Opposing the bail plea, the ED alleged that Soren abused his position as chief minister to unlawfully acquire 8.86 acres in Bargain Anchal in the state capital.

The ED counsel asserted that witnesses examined by the federal agency confirmed the former CM's involvement in the illegal land deal.

The agency claimed that Soren's media consultant, Abhishek Prasad, admitted that the former CM instructed him to manipulate official records to change the ownership details of the plot.

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