Hemant Soren's discharge plea in money laundering case rejected
09 Jun 2026

A Special Court at Ranchi has rejected the discharge petition of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case.

The case involves 8.86 acres of land located in Ranchi's Badgai area and is being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court found prima facie material for trial, rejecting Soren's claim that he was falsely implicated without sufficient evidence.

ED opposed Soren's plea, urged court to dismiss it
Legal proceedings

Soren had filed the discharge petition in December 2025, arguing that he was wrongfully implicated and there was no solid evidence against him.

However, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed his plea, saying enough evidence and documents were collected during their investigation to proceed with a trial.

The agency urged the court to dismiss Soren's discharge plea and continue with the case proceedings.

Case pertains to alleged money laundering
Case update

Accepting the ED's contention, the court decided to continue with prosecution in this case.

Soren was arrested on January 31, 2024, and remained in custody till June 28, when he was granted bail by the High Court, which had made a prima facie observation that there was no reason to believe that Soren was guilty at that stage.