The Jharkhand High Court on April 08 , issued notice to Chief Minister Hemant Soren on a petition filed against him for owning a mining lease in Ranchi district.
The Division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad said that the matter is “serious”.
It is observed by the Court that the incident showed the pathetic state of affairs in the state’s Mines Department.
Shiv Shankar Sharma, represented by Advocate Rajeev Kumar, filed a plea in February challenging the granting of a stone chips mining concession in Ranchi last year. The petition alleged that Soren got the lease allegedly by misusing his position as the Minister for the Department of Mines.
According to the Petition Soren received a 0.88-acre lease in Ranchi’s Angara block and a Letter of Intent was granted by the Ranchi District Mining Office on June 16, 2021.
The petition states that Soren sought for environmental clearance of the mine on September 9 and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority granted it on September 18.
Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan acknowledged that the state had made a mistake and that the lease had since been surrendered. Advocate General assured the court that the state would file a detailed affidavit outlining its position in this case.
Meanwhile, advocate Rajeev Kumar, counsel for the Petitioner has filed an interlocutory application to ensure his safety.