JMM president Hemant Soren takes oath as Jharkhand Chief Minister (WATCH)

Hemant Soren, recently released on bail in a land scam case, was sworn in as Jharkhand's Chief Minister on Thursday evening after Governor invited him to form the government. Governor CP Radhakrishnan administered him the oath to office.

Hemant Soren took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand on Thursday evening, hours after being invited by Governor CP Radhakrishnan to form the government in the state. The swearing-in ceremony was held on July 7, according to Supriyo Bhattacharya, general secretary of the JMM. 

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Soren visited Raj Bhawan along with state Congress president Rajesh Thakur and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta a day after Champai Soren stepped down from the chief minister’s post.

Hemant Soren took oath as the 13th chief minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000.

In a land fraud case, Soren, the former Chief Minister, was recently granted free after serving around five months in jail.

"Governor CP Radhakrishnan will administer the oath and office of secrecy to Hemant Soren at 5 pm at Raj Bhavan," a government source stated.

The JMM chief staked claim to form the government on Wednesday after Champai Soren, who had taken oath as the 12th chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2 after Hemant Soren's arrest, resigned.

On June 28, Hemant Soren, the son of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in connection with a money laundering case involving a purported land fraud, and was subsequently freed from custody. He was overwhelmingly chosen as the state's legislative party leader on Wednesday by the coalition formed by the JMM.

Hemant Soren had resigned as the Chief Minister shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the Enforcement Directorate.

In its June 28 order, the single bench of Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay of the High Court stated that the court's belief that the petitioner (Soren) is "not guilty" was erroneous and that the accused does not satisfy the twin conditions as required under section 45 of the PMLA.