Big Setback for Hemant Soren as PMLA Court Rejects Discharge Plea in Land Scam Case

In a significant legal development for the political landscape of Jharkhand, a Special Court in Ranchi, presiding over cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), has dismissed the discharge petition filed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. 

The decision, delivered on Monday, June 8, 2026, marks a major setback for the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, as the court found sufficient grounds to proceed with a trial regarding his alleged involvement in a fraudulent land acquisition and money laundering scheme.

The case centers on a parcel of land measuring 8.86 acres located in the Badgai area of Ranchi. According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), this property was acquired through fraudulent means as part of a larger organized land syndicate involved in manipulating official records and illegal land grabbing. The central agency has alleged that Soren is a key beneficiary of these transactions, leading to the registration of ECIR No. 06/2023 under the PMLA.

Special Judge Yogesh Kumar, while pronouncing the order, stated that the materials presented by the prosecution were sufficient at the prima facie stage to warrant further proceedings. The court observed that discharge jurisprudence generally favors the prosecution in instances where the cumulative circumstances create a reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. In this specific instance, the court opined that the documentary evidence and witness statements disclosed more than a mere suspicion, raising a clear prima facie case against the Chief Minister.

Hemant Soren had moved the court with a discharge petition in December 2025, asserting his complete innocence in the matter. He argued that the allegations leveled by the Enforcement Directorate were baseless and lacked the support of concrete evidence. The defense maintained that there was no direct nexus between the disputed land and any scheduled offence under the PMLA, highlighting that the property was not registered in Soren’s name. Furthermore, the defense contended that many of the witness statements relied upon by the ED were based on hearsay and could not legally sustain a charge of criminal conspiracy.

Conversely, the Enforcement Directorate strongly opposed the discharge plea, accusing the defense of attempting to conduct a “mini-trial” at a premature stage. The agency submitted that during the consideration of a discharge petition, the court is only required to determine the existence of a prima facie case rather than performing a granular examination of the evidence. The ED highlighted its recovery of 17 original land registers and various revenue-related documents from the possession of a former revenue sub-inspector, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, which they claim provide evidence of tampering and land grabbing.

The court ultimately noted that the matters must be thoroughly examined during the trial phase rather than dismissed at the outset.

This legal battle has a long history, dating back to Soren’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31, 2024, following extensive interrogation and ten separate summons. His arrest prompted his resignation as Chief Minister.

Case Details: ECIR No. 06/2023