NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain JMM leader and former chief minister Heman Soren's plea, challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the land deal case. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh and Bela M Trivedi said that they are not inclined to entertain the petition. The court asked Soren to approach the concerned High Court with his petition.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, submitted that the matter deals with a Chief Minister who has been arrested. The top court remarked that courts are open to everybody and high courts are constitutional. If they allow one person then they have to allow everybody, the top court said. Last September, the previous bench had asked Soren to approach the Jharkhand High Court against the ED's summons.

Soren approached the Supreme Court against the ED's action saying that the probe agency abused its powers and acted in a malafide manner to destabilise a democratically elected government in Jharkhand. He sought to have his arrest and consequent detention declared as unwarranted, arbitrary, illegal, and violative of the fundamental rights of the petitioner guaranteed and protected under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Champai Soren has taken oath as the new Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Governor CP Radhakrishnan has directed him to prove his government's majority within 10 days.