President A P J Abdul Kalam on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Union Coal Minister Shibu Soren from the council of ministers, a Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images] spokesperson said.

The President signed his approval in the morning in Bhubaneshwar, where he is touring at present, he said.

The Prime Minister had forwarded Soren's resignation from the council of ministers after a Delhi court on Tuesday found the latter guilty of conspiring to kidnap and murder his private secretary Shashi Nath Jha twelve years ago.