New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS): Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren got a big relief from the Supreme Court on August 17 as the apex court stayed proceedings against him in the Jharkhand High Court in a money laundering case through several shell companies.

While passing the order, the top court said that the petitioners could not establish a prima facie case against the CM. The tribal leader, heading the coalition government in Jharkhand found himself at the centre of a controversy in February this year when corruption allegations were levelled against him.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Raghubar Das accused him of misusing his position to obtain a mining lease. Union Minister Arjun Munda had termed the Soren government as king of thieves. Pleas were filed in the Jharkhand High Court seeking to probe the allegations against Soren. However, the Supreme Court order brought huge respite to Jharkhand CM, who had been facing the heat since the High Court accepted pleas against him.

CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a nationwide survey on behalf of IANS to know people's views about the impact of the corruption allegation on the image of Jharkhand CM. The survey found that people were divided in their opinion about the image of the Soren with a bigger proportion of respondents -- 53 per cent asserting that the tribal leader has a clean image. However, 47 per cent of respondents disagreed.

The survey revealed a similar pattern in the responses of both the NDA and opposition voters. During the survey, views of both the NDA and opposition voters were divided on the issue. As per the survey data 51 per cent of opposition voters believe that Soren is a leader with a clean image. Similarly, views of NDA voters were divided, though a larger proportion of respondents -- 57 per cent stressed that Jharkhand CM is a tainted leader, who has allegations of corruption against him.

As for the views of different ethnic groups, the majority of Scheduled Castes -- 64 per cent and a bigger proportion of Scheduled Tribes -- 58 per cent and Muslims -- 56 per cent vouched for the clean image of Jharkhand CM. At the same time, the majority of Upper Caste Hindus -- 66 per cent and a substantial proportion of Other Backward Classes -- 56 per cent stressed that the leader has misused his position and indulged in corrupt practices.