The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the CBI on the appeal filed by former union minister Shibu Soren who has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his private secretary Shashi Nath Jha.

A Division Bench of Justice Manmohan Sarin and Justice S L Bhayana asked the CBI to file its reply by February 19 and also called for the trial court records in the case.

Soren also moved a bail application, which would be heard on the next date of hearing.

A Delhi court had, on December 26, 2006, convicted Soren and four others for abduction and murder of Jha.

According to the prosecution, Jha went missing from Dhaula Kuan area of Delhi on May 22, 1992 and was last seen in Ranchi in the company of Soren's loyalists the next day.

His body was exhumed from Piska village near Ranchi in 1998.

Jha was murdered as he had knowledge about the money allegedly received by JMM MPs, including Soren, from then prime minister P V Narsimha Rao to vote in favour of his minority government in Parliament in 1993, they said.