JMM hails acquittal of Shibu Soren

8220;Justice was delayed but not denied,8221; said Murmu, who was busy with the campaign for a by-election in Jamshedpur.

Welcoming the Delhi High Court8217;s verdict, JMM leader and Jharkhand Revenue Minister Dulal Bhyayan said, 8220;We were confident about Guruji8217;s acquittal.8221;

Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto and Agriculture Minister Nalin Soren, both senior JMM leaders, too hailed the verdict.

Soren8217;s son and former MLA Durga Soren expressed relief following the acquittal.

Setting aside a lower court8217;s order of November 28 last year that sentenced Soren and four others to life imprisonment, a bench of the Delhi High Court comprising Justices R S Sodhi and H R Malhotra said the CBI had 8220;miserably failed8221; to prove the case against them.

The bench said the lower court8217;s order 8220;is far from convincing8221;.

The 62-year-old tribal leader from Jharkhand, who had to quit as Union coal minister following his conviction, is now being held at Jamtara prison in Jharkhand in connection with the Chirudih massacre case.