SC agrees to hear pleas of Jharkhand, CM against HC order on PIL for probe into graft charges

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list for hearing two separate pleas of the Jharkhand government and Chief Minister Hemant Soren against an order of the high court which had accepted the maintainability of a PIL for a probe against the CM into alleged irregularities in grant of mining leases.

A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Meenakshi Arora, who appeared for the Jharkhand government and the chief minister respectively, that the matters needed an urgent hearing. “We will list it,” the CJI said.

The plea before the Jharkhand High Court had sought a probe into alleged irregularities in the grant of mining leases and also into the transactions of some shell companies allegedly operated by the chief minister’s family members and associates.

The high court had accepted the maintainability of the PIL seeking a probe against the chief minister.