SC asks Jharkhand HC to decide maintainability of PIL for probe against CM Hemant Soren

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Jharkhand High Court to first hear preliminary objections on maintainability of a PIL, which it is hearing, seeking investigation against Chief Minister Hemant Soren and into transactions of some shell companies operated by his family members and associates into the alleged irregularities in grant of mining leases. A vacation bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Bela M Trivedi noted that the high court had itself in its order of May 13 said it would first decide the maintainability of the PIL filed by one Shiv Kumar Sharma and then it will go into the merit of the allegations levelled in the petition. 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 top court also made it clear that it has not made any observation with regard to the merit of the case and has not dealt with the allegations made in the petition. The Jharkhand government has moved the top court against the orders of the hgh court.

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