The Election Commission of India (ECI) has deferred the hearing of the office of profit case of Basant Soren, who is JMM MLA from Dumka and younger brother of chief minister Hemant Soren to June 29.
The matter was scheduled for hearing on Wednesday when Jharkhand BJP approached the ECI and sought additional time to a rejoinder of the reply filed by Basant Soren.
The BJP, which is the petitioner of this case, said that it got the copy of the reply of Basant Soren on June 13 and it needed time to study and prepare a counter reply. Jharkhand BJP president Deepak Prakash said that the party has requested the ECI three-week time.
“The BJP has filed the time petition. Now it is up to the ECI when it fixes the next date of hearing. But we have requested three weeks. Besides, the lawyer who is assisting the court on behalf of the BJP has some personal problems,” said Prakash. It should be noted that chief minister Hemant Soren has been facing identical complaints related to the office of profit and the matter is being heard by the ECI. On June 14, when the hearing of his case was scheduled, he filed a time petition stating that his lawyer has turned Covid-19 positive. The ECI ultimately fixed June 28 as the next date of hearing. The ECI is unlikely to give him another extension and the matter will be decided on merit. In the case of CM, the BJP is the petitioner. He is accused to have availed of the stone mining lease at Angara in Ranchi which is a violation of the People’s Representation Act.
The BJP alleged that Basant Soren in his election affidavit concealed information that he is the director at a mining company Grands Mining Works LLP. The BJP claims that he holds the post of the director and it comes under the definition of office of profit because he is a public representative also.
The ECI served him a notice and asked him to reply by May 12. He was asked to explain whether or not it was a fit case of the termination of his membership from the Jharkhand assembly under section 9 A of the Representation of People’s Act because he is allegedly involved in private business. Basant Soren sought more time to file a reply and finally, he submitted his reply.
The BJP alleged that he used his clout to obtain mining and other business rights. The BJP claimed that Article 192 of the Constitution prohibits an elected representative to indulge in business activities. Grands Mining Works is a Limited Liability Partnership company established in February 2015.