Ex-Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren remanded to judicial custody till February 22 in money laundering case

Ranchi: A special PMLA court on Thursday remanded former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren to judicial custody till February 22 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president was in the ED custody.

"Hemant Soren was produced before the special PMLA court today and he was remanded to judicial custody till February 22. We will file a bail application for him," said Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan, who appeared for the former chief minister.

Ranjan said the ED did not seek an extension of remand for Soren.

The JMM leader was taken to Birsa Munda Central Jail at Hotwar in Ranchi from the court.

Asked whether any application will be filed for shifting Soren to a camp jail, Ranjan said no special privilege is being claimed at the moment.

A ‘camp jail’ is a place on a prison campus where prisoners not considered dangerous are lodged.

The advocate general said he would move the bail application for his client “very shortly”.

Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31, shortly after he resigned as the chief minister.

Earlier in the day, Soren on reaching the PMLA court in the afternoon, waved at his supporters present there.

On February 2, the court granted five days of ED custody to Soren and extended it twice for seven days in total.

He was arrested on January 31 after a seven-hour grilling by the central agency in the money laundering case.