Shibu Soren
Encyclopedia
Shibu Soren is an Indian politician is a former Chief Minister of Jharkhand
state in India
. . He was sworn in as the 7th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on December 30, 2009 after winning the Jharkhand Assembly elections. He resigned on May 30, 2010 after failing to obtain coalition support from the Bharatiya Janata Party
, his national party partner. He previously represented the Dumka
constituency of Jharkhand in the 14th Lok Sabha
, and is the President of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
(JMM) political party, a constituent of the UPA
.
On January 9, 2009, Soren was defeated in the by-election to the Tamar assembly constituency to political novice Gopal Krishan Patar alias Raja Peter of the Jharkhand Party by a margin of over 9,000 votes. Soren was earlier reappointed as Chief Minister of Jharkhand on August 27, 2008 after his life term in the Shashinath Jha murder case was set aside by the Delhi High Court in August, 2007 citing the CBI as "miserably failing" in proving Soren's involvement in the crime. After the Assembly elections Soren once again formed the Government along with the BJP, and was sworn in as chief minister of Jharkhand on 30 December 2009.
He was the Minister for Coal in the Union Cabinet in November 2006,
when a Delhi district court found him guilty in the murder of his private secretary
Shashi Nath Jha in 1994. He has also been indicted in the past on other criminal charges.
, in what was, at the time, Bihar
state
, India. He completed his schooling in the same district.During his schooling his father, a school headmaster, was murdered causing him to leave school to support his family.He started selling wood as a small business.He got married to Roopi Kisku. He has three sons Durga, Hemant, and Basant and a daughter, Anjali. Durga Soren died on 22 May 2009 in Bokaro. He was 39.
Shibu Soren also fought against the people who used the adivasis in a wrong.
Soren began his political career in the early 1970s and quickly became known as a tribal leader.On 23 January 1975, he allegedly incited a mob attack in Chirudih village in Jamtara district
in a campaign to drive away "outsiders", a term used to describe non-tribals. At least eleven people were killed. Soren and numerous others were charged with various crimes related to this incident. After extended legal proceedings, Soren was acquitted on March 6, 2008. However, possibly related incitement charges—dating from two yet earlier (1974) deaths—remain pending.
He lost his first Lok Sabha
election in 1977. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980. In 1986, an arrest warrant was issued against him. He was subsequently elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, 1991 and 1996 as well. In 2002, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha
with the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party
. He won the Dumka
Lok Sabha seat in a by-election the same year and resigned his Rajya Sabha seat. He was re-elected in 2004.
He became the Union Coal Minister in the Manmohan Singh
government, but was asked to resign following an arrest warrant in his name in the thirty-year old Chirudih case. After the warrant was issued, he initially went underground. He resigned on 24 July 2004. He was able to secure bail after spending over a month in judicial custody; released on bail on September 8, he was re-inducted into the Union Cabinet and given back the coal ministry on 27 November 2004, as part of a deal for a Congress-JMM alliance before assembly elections in Jharkhand
in February/March 2005 http://www.hindu.com/2004/11/28/stories/2004112808950100.htm.
On 2 March 2005, after much political bargaining and quid pro quo he was invited to form the government in Jharkhand
by the Governor of Jharkhand, Syed Sibtey Razi. He resigned as Chief Minister nine days later, on 11 March, following his failure to obtain a vote of confidence in the assembly.
area in Delhi
on May 22, 1994 and taken to Piska Nagari village near Ranchi
where he was killed. The CBI chargesheet stated that Jha's knowledge of the reported deal between the Congress and the JMM to save the then Narasimha Rao government during the July 1993 no-confidence motion and an act of sodomy was the motive behind the murder. The charge-sheet asserted that: "Jha was aware of the illegal transactions and also expected and demanded a substantial share out of this amount from Soren." http://news.indlaw.com/527C7CE8127F523ABA578A792E73B70B
Soren has resigned from his post of Union Minister for Coal after Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
demanded that he do so in the wake of the verdict. This is the first case of a Union Minister of the Government of India being found guilty of involvement in a murder. On 5 December 2006, Shibu Soren was sentenced to life imprisonment. A Delhi court rejected his bail plea, stating: 'We cannot overlook the fact that the appellant (Soren) has been convicted after a detailed and elaborate trial only in November 2006 and sentenced in December 2006.
The bench also noted that he was also being tried in a number of other cases, including the case of mass murder in Jharkhand. '
On June 25, 2007, Shibu Soren was being escorted to his jail in Dumka
, Jharkhand
when his convoy was attacked by bombs, but no one was hurt.
Subsequently however, the court pulled up the prosecuting attorney,
R M Tiwari of the (Central Bureau of Investigation
), for "not doing its homework" and presenting weak evidence.
The Delhi High Court on 23 Aug 2007 overruled the District Court and acquitted Soren, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HC_acquits_Soren_slams_CBI_for_lapses/articleshow/2302536.cms. stating that "the prosecution has miserably failed in bringing home the charge against the accused persons. The trial court's analysis is far from convincing and not sustainable."
The five men convicted by the Tis Hazari
court were held guilty of criminal conspiracy, abduction and murder primarily on the basis of forensic evidence provided by a post-mortem report of a body discovered in Jharkhand, namely a skull superimposition test and skull injury report. This was in addition to eyewitness accounts and some circumstantial evidence. But the DNA that had been extracted from the skeleton did not match Jha's immediate family: in its judgement overruling the district court, the High Court bench wondered how the trial judge could have "ignored the well-established fact that a DNA test is considered conclusive evidence while skull superimposition tests only allude to a probability", concluding that the skeleton was not Jha and that the case reduced to merely circumstantial evidence.
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
state in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. . He was sworn in as the 7th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on December 30, 2009 after winning the Jharkhand Assembly elections. He resigned on May 30, 2010 after failing to obtain coalition support from the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
, his national party partner. He previously represented the Dumka
Dumka (Lok Sabha constituency)
Dumka Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand state in eastern India. This constituency is presently reserved for the candidates belonging to the Scheduled tribes...
constituency of Jharkhand in the 14th Lok Sabha
14th Lok Sabha
The 14th Lok Sabha was convened after the Indian general election, 2004 held in four phases during 20 April – 10 May 2004, which led to the formation of First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
, and is the President of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is a state political party in the state Jharkhand, India. It has a strength of 2 in the 15th Lok Sabha. Shibu Soren is the president of JMM...
(JMM) political party, a constituent of the UPA
United Progressive Alliance
The United Progressive Alliance is a ruling coalition of center-left political parties heading the government of India. The coalition is led by the Indian National Congress , which is currently the single largest political party in the Lok Sabha...
.
On January 9, 2009, Soren was defeated in the by-election to the Tamar assembly constituency to political novice Gopal Krishan Patar alias Raja Peter of the Jharkhand Party by a margin of over 9,000 votes. Soren was earlier reappointed as Chief Minister of Jharkhand on August 27, 2008 after his life term in the Shashinath Jha murder case was set aside by the Delhi High Court in August, 2007 citing the CBI as "miserably failing" in proving Soren's involvement in the crime. After the Assembly elections Soren once again formed the Government along with the BJP, and was sworn in as chief minister of Jharkhand on 30 December 2009.
He was the Minister for Coal in the Union Cabinet in November 2006,
when a Delhi district court found him guilty in the murder of his private secretary
Shashi Nath Jha in 1994. He has also been indicted in the past on other criminal charges.
Life
Soren was born in Nemra village of Ramgarh districtRamgarh district
Ramgarh district is one of the 24 districts in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Ramgarh Raj:Ramgarh was the seat of a major Zamindari in the era of the British Raj....
, in what was, at the time, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
, India. He completed his schooling in the same district.During his schooling his father, a school headmaster, was murdered causing him to leave school to support his family.He started selling wood as a small business.He got married to Roopi Kisku. He has three sons Durga, Hemant, and Basant and a daughter, Anjali. Durga Soren died on 22 May 2009 in Bokaro. He was 39.
Shibu Soren also fought against the people who used the adivasis in a wrong.
Soren began his political career in the early 1970s and quickly became known as a tribal leader.On 23 January 1975, he allegedly incited a mob attack in Chirudih village in Jamtara district
Jamtara District
Jamtara district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state in eastern India. Jamtara town is the administrative headquarters of this district...
in a campaign to drive away "outsiders", a term used to describe non-tribals. At least eleven people were killed. Soren and numerous others were charged with various crimes related to this incident. After extended legal proceedings, Soren was acquitted on March 6, 2008. However, possibly related incitement charges—dating from two yet earlier (1974) deaths—remain pending.
He lost his first Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
election in 1977. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980. In 1986, an arrest warrant was issued against him. He was subsequently elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, 1991 and 1996 as well. In 2002, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
with the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
. He won the Dumka
Dumka
Dumka, headquarters of Dumka district, is a city and municipality in the state of Jharkhand, India. It was made the headquarters of the Santhal Pargana region which was carved out of Bhagalpur and Suri districts after The Great Santal Hul 1855. Presently, it is the commissionary headquarter of...
Lok Sabha seat in a by-election the same year and resigned his Rajya Sabha seat. He was re-elected in 2004.
He became the Union Coal Minister in the Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
government, but was asked to resign following an arrest warrant in his name in the thirty-year old Chirudih case. After the warrant was issued, he initially went underground. He resigned on 24 July 2004. He was able to secure bail after spending over a month in judicial custody; released on bail on September 8, he was re-inducted into the Union Cabinet and given back the coal ministry on 27 November 2004, as part of a deal for a Congress-JMM alliance before assembly elections in Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
in February/March 2005 http://www.hindu.com/2004/11/28/stories/2004112808950100.htm.
On 2 March 2005, after much political bargaining and quid pro quo he was invited to form the government in Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
by the Governor of Jharkhand, Syed Sibtey Razi. He resigned as Chief Minister nine days later, on 11 March, following his failure to obtain a vote of confidence in the assembly.
Life imprisonment and acquittal
On 28 November 2006, Soren was found guilty in a twelve year old case involving the kidnapping and murder of his former personal secretary Shashinath Jha. It was claimed that Jha was abducted from the Dhaula KuanDhaula Kuan
Dhaula Kuan is a major intersection of roads in Delhi, India. The name also now refers to the neighborhood surrounding the intersection. It lies in South West Delhi.-Intersection:Five major throughfares in Delhi meet at Dhaula Kuan...
area in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
on May 22, 1994 and taken to Piska Nagari village near Ranchi
Ranchi
-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...
where he was killed. The CBI chargesheet stated that Jha's knowledge of the reported deal between the Congress and the JMM to save the then Narasimha Rao government during the July 1993 no-confidence motion and an act of sodomy was the motive behind the murder. The charge-sheet asserted that: "Jha was aware of the illegal transactions and also expected and demanded a substantial share out of this amount from Soren." http://news.indlaw.com/527C7CE8127F523ABA578A792E73B70B
Soren has resigned from his post of Union Minister for Coal after Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
demanded that he do so in the wake of the verdict. This is the first case of a Union Minister of the Government of India being found guilty of involvement in a murder. On 5 December 2006, Shibu Soren was sentenced to life imprisonment. A Delhi court rejected his bail plea, stating: 'We cannot overlook the fact that the appellant (Soren) has been convicted after a detailed and elaborate trial only in November 2006 and sentenced in December 2006.
The bench also noted that he was also being tried in a number of other cases, including the case of mass murder in Jharkhand. '
On June 25, 2007, Shibu Soren was being escorted to his jail in Dumka
Dumka
Dumka, headquarters of Dumka district, is a city and municipality in the state of Jharkhand, India. It was made the headquarters of the Santhal Pargana region which was carved out of Bhagalpur and Suri districts after The Great Santal Hul 1855. Presently, it is the commissionary headquarter of...
, Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
when his convoy was attacked by bombs, but no one was hurt.
Subsequently however, the court pulled up the prosecuting attorney,
R M Tiwari of the (Central Bureau of Investigation
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
), for "not doing its homework" and presenting weak evidence.
The Delhi High Court on 23 Aug 2007 overruled the District Court and acquitted Soren, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HC_acquits_Soren_slams_CBI_for_lapses/articleshow/2302536.cms. stating that "the prosecution has miserably failed in bringing home the charge against the accused persons. The trial court's analysis is far from convincing and not sustainable."
The five men convicted by the Tis Hazari
Tis Hazari
Tis Hazari is a neighbourhood in Old Delhi, India just south of the Northern Ridge, most known for the Tis Hazari Courts Complex was inaugurated on 19-03-1958 by Chief Justice Mr. A. N. Bhandari of the then Punjab High Court, it is one of the five District Courts that function under the Delhi...
court were held guilty of criminal conspiracy, abduction and murder primarily on the basis of forensic evidence provided by a post-mortem report of a body discovered in Jharkhand, namely a skull superimposition test and skull injury report. This was in addition to eyewitness accounts and some circumstantial evidence. But the DNA that had been extracted from the skeleton did not match Jha's immediate family: in its judgement overruling the district court, the High Court bench wondered how the trial judge could have "ignored the well-established fact that a DNA test is considered conclusive evidence while skull superimposition tests only allude to a probability", concluding that the skeleton was not Jha and that the case reduced to merely circumstantial evidence.
External links
- Controversies have always tailed Shibu Soren - 123bharath.com article dated 20 July 2004
- Jharkhand cops chasing Union minister with arrest warrant - rediff.comRediff.comRediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
article dated 21 July 2004 - Shibu Soren goes underground - Mid Day article dated 21 July 2004
- PM asks Shibu Soren to resign - Indian Express article dated 24 July 2004
- Shibu Soren resigns after arrest warrant - Yahoo! India News story dated 24 July 2004
- Shibu Soren: from farmer's son to fugitive minister - 123bharath.com article dated 24 July 2004
- Shibu Soren appointed as Chief Minister of Jharkhand - Indiainfo.com article dated 2 March 2004
- Shibu Soren sworn in as Jharkhand CM - rediff.com article dated 2 March 2004
- Home Page on the Parliament of India's Website
- News timeline for Shibu Soren