The Supreme Court on Monday admitted a special leave petition that challenged the acquittal of the former Jharkhand Chief Minister, Shibu Soren, in the case relating to the murder of his private Secretary Sashi Nath Jha.
A Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and A.K. Patnaik admitted the appeal filed by the legal heirs of the victim, challenging the verdict of Delhi High Court that set aside the life sentence awarded to Mr. Soren by a trial court. On August 22, 2007, the Delhi High Court acquitted Mr. Soren and four others. The CBI had accused Mr. Soren of masterminding the killing of his personal secretary for allegedly demanding a fair share in the money he received in the JMM bribery scam in 1993. A local court, on December 26, 2006, sentenced Mr. Soren and the four to life imprisonment for kidnapping and killing Jha. Mr. Soren challenged his conviction and life sentence in connection with the murder case, which took place in 1992. The High Court acquitted the accused. While victim's wife Priyambada Devi (since deceased) and her children challenged the acquittal of all the five accused, the CBI filed an appeal but it did not question Mr. Soren's acquittal.
“We filed the appeal against the acquittal of all the five, but the CBI did not challenge the acquittal of Mr. Soren,” counsel K. Sunil, appearing for the legal heirs of the victim, submitted before the Bench.
The appellants contended that the High Court acquitted the accused without looking into various aspects of the law and the Supreme Court judgments. Since the matter pertained to influential persons, it could not be brushed aside by the High Court mechanically, the appellants said and prayed for quashing the impugned judgment.
