Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren moved a bail petition before a special court in Ranchi on Tuesday, alleging that his arrest by the ED was politically motivated and part of a well-orchestrated conspiracy to coerce him to join the BJP.

The special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court fixed April 23 as the next date of hearing after the Enforcement Directorate sought time to file a reply to it.

The petition, filed by Soren's advocate Arunabh Chowdhury, said, "The entire prosecution and arrest of the Petitioner is politically motivated by extraneous considerations and is part of a well-orchestrated conspiracy by the Central Government to browbeat, intimidate and humiliate the prominent opposition leaders like the Petitioner herein so as to coerce them to join the Bharatiya Janata Party or to be part of the National Democratic Alliance." Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam immediately after he resigned as the CM.

He is at present lodged at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

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