The Supreme Court on Monday declined to quash the bail granted to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in the money-laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate, saying the high court had passed a “well-reasoned judgment”.

“We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order. It is a well-reasoned order,” the apex court said while declining to entertain the appeal filed by the ED challenging the bail granted by a single-judge bench of Jharkhand High Court on June 28.

During the hearing on Monday, when additional solicitor-general S.V. Raju tried to persuade the top court that the high court had committed an error in granting the bail, Justice B.R. Gavai told the law officer appearing for the ED that any observations from the apex court would put the probe agency in “difficulty”.

However, the bench which also had Justice K.V. Viswanathan, observed that the trial court shall proceed with the hearing uninfluenced by any observations made by the high court while granting bail to Soren.

The apex court noted that in terms of the high court judgment, no incriminating material had been found against Soren.

When the ASG tried to press with his argument that the high court ought not to have granted bail, the bench said: “We do not want to observe anything more. If we observe something, you might be in difficulty. The learned single judge has by a well-reasoned judgment considered all statements and has distinguished them as well.”

However, in response to the ASG’s plea that certain observations of the high court would affect the trial, the bench ordered: “We clarify that since the observations by the high court are with regard to grant of bail, the same will not influence the trial judge at the stage of trial or any other proceedings.”

Soren, who had resigned on January 31 after the ED arrested him in the money-laundering case, was again sworn in as chief minister on July 4 following the bail granted by the high court.