Jharkhand High Court fines CM Hemant Soren for delayed response in SC/ST Act case against ED officials

The Jharkhand High Court has ordered a fine against Chief Minister Hemant Soren after the state government failed to submit a response within the stipulated time in a case filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Act. The case concerns allegations against officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and seeks a judicial inquiry into their conduct.

According to the court's order, the delay in filing the required reply was deemed a violation of procedural norms, prompting the bench to impose a monetary penalty on the chief minister's office. The exact amount of the fine was not disclosed in the brief report.

The CM's office has not issued a public statement regarding the sanction, and legal experts note that such fines are intended to enforce timely compliance with court directives. The matter underscores the growing scrutiny of high‑level officials in cases that intersect administrative actions and caste‑based legal provisions.

If the fine remains unpaid, the court may consider additional coercive measures, although no further steps have been outlined at this stage.