The Jharkhand High Court has dismissed former State Chief Minister Hemant Soren's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the land scam case. 

Four days after the Supreme Court, scheduling Hemant Soren's plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate for the week commencing May 6, made it clear that the High Court could proceed with the judgment, a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Navneet Kumar rejected his plea.

Soren had appealed to the Supreme Court, citing the delay by the High Court in delivering a verdict on his petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. The High Court had reserved the order on his petition on February 28, 2024.

Since his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31, the JMM leader has been in custody. On February 2, the Supreme Court declined to consider his earlier petition challenging the ED's arrest and directed him to seek relief from the High Court instead.

Nevertheless, he has been granted interim bail for one day in a separate petition, allowing him to attend the Shraddh ceremony of his uncle, Raja Ram Soren, who passed away last month.

A bench led by Justice R. Mukhopadhyay granted his request for interim relief, permitting Soren to attend the Shraddh ceremony of his late uncle. However, the bench also directed that Soren must remain in judicial custody and is prohibited from communicating with the media during this time.

On April 27, a special PMLA court dismissed Soren's interim bail application, which was filed to allow him to participate in the final rites of his uncle, the elder brother of Shibu Soren.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister, Soren, is currently under investigation for alleged money laundering offenses related to an illegal mining case and a purported land scam in Ranchi, the capital of the state. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is handling both investigations and claims that around 8.5 acres of the disputed property are proceeds of crime. Soren has been charged with unauthorized possession and use of the said property.