The Supreme Court today dismissed former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on money laundering charges.

“We are not interfering, go to the High Court,” the Supreme Court said.

Hemant Soren was arrested late Wednesday night. He has been sent to judicial custody for one day, with a definitive ruling on the central agency’s request for 10-day custody expected today.

In his petition, Hemant Soren contended before the Supreme Court that the agency had “abused its power and acted in a malafide manner to destabilise a democratically-elected state government”.

He also called his arrest “illegal and without jurisdiction” “The ED is brazenly acting under the (diktats) of the central government and hounding the petitioner to destabilise a democratically-elected government headed by the petitioner,” he said.

The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Hemant Soren is involved in a Rs 600-crore land scam and the laundering of its proceeds.

Meanwhile, Champai Soren, veteran leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, will take oath today as the next Chief Minister of Jharkhand today.

Champai Soren met Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan in Ranchi yesterday and urged him to invite him to form the next state government. “We have submitted the report with 43 MLAs in our support. We expect the number will reach 46-47. Our ‘gathbandhan’, or alliance, is very strong,” Champai Soren said after meeting the Governor.

Sources said the Governor was also shown a 49-second roll-call video of all MLAs backing Mr Soren, who is a senior member of the JMM and a seven-time MLA.

Poonam Pandey, model and reality star, has died of cervical cancer, her manager said today. The 32-year-old, who was last seen on the reality show ‘Lock Upp’,  “bravely fought the disease”, said her team.

“Poonam Pandey, the beloved actress and social media personality, has tragically passed away this morning due to Cervical Cancer, leaving the entertainment industry in shock and  mourning,” her manager Nikita Sharma told NDTV.

“Her unwavering spirit amidst her health struggles was truly remarkable,” shared Ms Sharma, highlighting the “critical need for increased awareness and proactive measures against preventable diseases like Cervical Cancer”. She said that the 32-year-old bravely fought against the disease.

The model’s team also posted a statement on her official Instagram page.

“This morning is a tough one for us. Deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer. Every living form that ever came in contact with her was met with pure love and kindness. In this time of grief, we would request privacy while we remember her fondly for all that we shared,” the statement said.

Poonam Pandey had over billion followers on her Instagram. Her popularity skyrocketed during the 2011 Cricket World Cup when she promised that she would strip if India won the final. Over the years, she gathered a legion of social media followers with her controversial statements and was often seen in bold videos.

In 2022, she drew wide attention with a stint in the Kangana Ranaut-led reality show ‘Lock Upp’. She also acted in some films.

Squid Game 2 is all set to release this year. The sequel to the survival thriller that gained popularity back in 2021 is one of the most anticipated upcoming Korean series. The first look of the show starring Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon, Gong Yoo and more is out now.

The first look at Squid Game 2 sees Lee Jung-jae with his hair dyed red step out of the airport and swear to find the man behind the evil game. The short clip picks up right after the events of the first season.

Check it out here:

The makers also unveiled a series of stills from the sequel. One still sees Lee Jung-jae and Gong Yoo face off.

Written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game 2 also features Park Sung-hoon, Yim Si-wan, Won Ji-an and others. 

Squid Game ended on a cliff-hanger that saw Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun, fresh off his win,  set to leave for the US to visit his daughter. However, he changes his mind when he gets a phone call. 

Squid Game Season 2 will release in 2024.