Calling the warrant issued against the former Agriculture Minister Nalin Soren as justified, the Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday rejected the petition filed by him to quash the warrant issued by the vigilance court in connection with the multi-crore Seeds scam case during Madhu Koda government in 2007.
A warrant of arrest had been issued against him on July 11 followed by the formation of a special team to arrest Soren. “The quashing petition of Soren was dismissed by the court of Justice RR Prassad as he had been evading arrest since a long time,” said Vigilance advocate Shailesh. “The court also rejected his advocate’s request seeking directions to surrender before any court,” added the advocate.
A non-bailable warrant had been issued against Nalin Soren and nine others by the vigilance court in connection with the multi-crore seed scam during the Madhu Koda government in 2007. Meanwhile, the High Court allowed the petition filed by Congress MlA Sawana lakra, convicted of killing the boyfriend of his grand-daughter Avinash Tiwari, seeking permission to attend the special session of Jharkhand Assembly called by the Governor to attain confidence of the house by the newly formed government of Hemant Soren.
The Court however, left the decision to allow lakra to vote during the confidence motion on the discretion of the Assembly Speaker. lakra has been lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail since May 2011 after he surrendered before the court. He is also an accused in 2010 Rajya Sabha horse-trading case which is being probed by the CBI.