The Election Commission of India on Friday granted additional time to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to appear before the ECI in the case related to the office of profit against him.
The ECI has now asked him to make the submission on June 14. Earlier the ECI had directed him to appear before the commission on May 31 to explain why not his membership in the house be canceled on the charge of the office of profit.
The ECI extended the deadline after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha made a submission before the ECI through the office of the Governor of Jharkhand that the JMM should be made a party to this case. The JMM contended that any decision of the ECI will affect the JMM hence the party should be given the opportunity to explain the matter. On this, the Governor forwarded the matter to the ECI.
The office of profit became a bone of contention for the JMM and Chief Minister after the BJP lodged a complaint before the Governor that Hemant Soren obtained a mining lease in his name, while remaining as minister of the mines department and the Chief Minister of the State. The Chief mMinister contended that the mining lease was issued to him in 2008 and he surrendered the lease once he realised the mistake.
On this, the Governor sent this matter to the ECI, which issued a notice to the Chief Minister. The CM has also submitted his reply to the ECI and said that he has not violated section 9A of the People’s Representation Act. He referred to a couple of cases to assert that obtaining a mining lease doesn’t violate any section of the People’s Representation Act.
Ranchi DC Chhavi Ranjan passed an order granting a Letter of Intent to allocate a fresh mining lease of stone to Hemant Soren on June 15, last year at Angara in Ranchi. It was alleged that DC overlooked the mandatory requirement of Rule 69 of Jharkhand Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2004 wherein he was under statutory obligation to assess for damage and compensation committed by the earlier mining lessee, who was also Hemant Soren.
A PIL was also filed by Shiv Shankar Sharma which is being heard by the Supreme Court.