New Delhi, May 24: The Supreme Court on Tuesday told the Jharkhand High Court to first consider the maintainability of a PIL for a direction to investigate by the CBI and ED a mining lease granted to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by himself.
“We direct the Jharkhand High Court to first consider the maintainability of a PIL pending before the High Court,” a two-judge Bench headed by Dr D Y Chandrachud, and also comprising Justice Bela M Trivedi said.
“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 then proceed further in accordance with law,” the bench said.
The Jharkhand government and its Chief Minister have sought dismissal of the Public Interest Litigation on the ground of maintainability.
The apex court was hearing a plea related to the probes by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate into the mining lease that was granted to the Jharkhand Chief Minister and some shell companies operated by his family members and associates.
The Supreme Court said the High Court is seized of the matter.
“What we propose to do is that the HC has said that it would consider the maintainability of the matter. So we will direct the Jharkhand High Court to to first consider the maintainability of the PIL. Then we will see,” Justice Chandrachud said.
The allegation against Soren and others is about the transfer of funds through shell companies and the raid which was conducted by the Secretary, Mines. UNI
SC asks court to decide on PIL
