Champai Soren Takes Oath As New Jharkhand CM

Champai Soren, a prominent figure within the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Friday at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. His nomination for the Chief Ministerial role came on Thursday following his appeal to the Governor to expedite the acceptance of his claim to form the government. This move comes amidst a period of uncertainty in the state, which has been without a Chief Minister since the resignation of Hemant Soren on Wednesday, exacerbating the existing political crisis.

Supreme Court on Friday declined to intervene in the arrest of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

Hemant Soren, aged 48, initially filed a petition in the state high court contesting his arrest in the case after stepping down as Jharkhand's chief minister on January 31. The money laundering investigation is connected to the alleged unlawful acquisition of significant land holdings and suspected involvement with the "land mafia."

On Thursday, the ED presented Soren before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi. The court then ordered his remand to judicial custody for a day.