New Delhi/IBNS: The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on a petition filed by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta listed the matter to hear ED's response on May 17.

Soren has filed the petition challenging the Jharkhand High Court's judgment which dismissed his challenge to the ED arrest.

Justice Khanna asked Soren's lawyer Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal if he was in possession of land in question. Sibal vociferously asserted that Soren was not in possession of the land.

"I was never in possession of the land, have nothing to do with the land. This statement can be recorded," Sibal stated.

Sibal said that the offence regarding forcible possession of land was not a scheduled offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Justice Khanna then asked Sibal if he wanted the petition to be listed after notice in July or during the court vacations, which start on May 18. Sibal pressed for an early hearing, citing the ongoing elections.

On Jan 31, the Enforcement Directorate formally arrested Hemant Soren in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land deal in Jharkhand.

Soren had resigned as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand before he got arrested by the ED.

The Jharkhand High Court on May 3 dismissed Soren's writ petition challenging his arrest in the land scam case and denied him bail.