July 25: The JMM said today Sibu Soren would resurface soon — either to walk away with bail or to surrender.

Fresh trouble seemed to be brewing for the former coal minister on another front with police trying to procure a fresh arrest warrant against Soren in a 1999 case.

East Singhbhum police had sought a warrant from the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Jamshedpur. The petition is likely to be heard tomorrow.

Soren has been accused of neglecting court summons in a case registered with the Bistupur police station in August 1999. The case related to opening fire when the poll model of code of conduct was in place and was filed under a bailable section.

But the police said Soren’s alleged “neglectful attitude” forced the court to issue a non-bailable warrant, which became null and void recently on technical recently. The police have now moved to revive the case.

“Guruji (as Soren is referred to) is waiting for the verdict of Jharkhand High Court tomorrow. If the high court awards relief, he will resurface tomorrow. In case it doesn’t, he will resurface to surrender before the court at Jamtara from where the arrest warrant has been issued,” senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member Stephen Marandi said this afternoon.

However, Marandi did not specify when Soren would turn himself in, if the high court order went against him.

The high court will hear tomorrow as a petition filed on behalf of the former Union coal minister, challenging the proceedings of the Jamtara court that issued a non-bailable warrant against him in the 1975 Chirudih massacre case.

The JMM leadership, including Marandi, refused to disclose the whereabouts of Soren. “He is the leader of the masses and is with the people for whom he has been crusading for many decades,” Marandi said.

However, unconfirmed reports said Soren was somewhere near Dumka since it would be easy for him to surrender before the Jamtara court in case he could not obtain bail.

Dumka is just 50 km away from Jamtara.

The JMM justified Soren’s move to go underground, saying had he not done so, Jharkhand would have burnt and that the situation would have gone out of the control.

“He does not fear going to jail as this is a case related to the movement for a separate Jharkhand state. He went underground only to save Jharkhand from burning. His supporters are agitated at the political plot hatched by the National Democratic Alliance,” party MP Hemlal Murmu said.

Marandi asked his party workers not to be provoked, saying Soren had sent word that he does not want any JMM activists to do anything that could trigger unrest.

However, in an isolated incident, the JMM youth wing blocked train movement at the Hatia railway station early this morning.

Marandi remained non-committal on whether the JMM would continue within the Manmohan Singh ministry or would extend outside support to the government.

A decision will be taken by party chief Soren, he said, denying reports of differences in the party.

However, others differed. “It was unprecedented that Soren’s son Hemant carried the resignation letter of his father to the Prime Minister. This should have been done by a senior party leader considered next to the party chief in the organisation. The letter should have been carried by Stephen Marandi,” a party leader said.