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The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Supreme Court order a big blow to the BJP, says DMK
DMK organisation secretary R.S. Bharathi on Thursday said the BJP-led Union government should stop using the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) at its whim, in the wake of the Supreme Court's [interim] order [and oral observations] indicting the investigating agency. Speaking to reporters, he recalled the Supreme Court's observation that 'the Enforcement Directorate is crossing all limits and violating the federal concept of governance.' The Court also stayed the money laundering probe against the Tamil Nadu-run liquor retailer TASMAC over alleged corruption in the grant of wine shop licences. Mr. Bharathi contended the Supreme Court's order had only proved that the ED was functioning like a blackmailing organisation. He pointed out an ED official had already been arrested in Kerala in a ₹2 crore bribery case, and another officer was caught accepting money from a doctor in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. He alleged the BJP government was using the ED to tarnish the image of the DMK government ahead of the elections, which are just 'seven months' away. 'It is unable to digest the winning combination of the DMK and its allies. Though many cases have been pending against TASMAC for years, the BJP government targets only the DMK government,' he claimed. 'The Supreme Court's order has come as a severe blow to the BJP government,' he added.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Supreme Court stays ED probe in TASMAC liquor ‘scam' in Tamil Nadu
The Enforcement Directorate is crossing "all the limits" and violating the federal concept of governance, the Supreme Court on Thursday (May 22, 2025) said while staying the money laundering probe against Tamil Nadu-run liquor retailer TASMAC over alleged corruption in grant of wine shop licences. Issuing notice to the ED on pleas filed by the Tamil Nadu government and the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih told Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the anti-money laundering probe agency, that 'Your ED is crossing all the limits.' 'The Enforcement Directorate is violating the federal concept (of governance),' the bench observed, adding that the ED's probe against the state-run TASMAC will not proceed in the meantime. The law officer opposed the order, saying the issue involved corruption over ₹1,000 crore and the ED is not crossing the limits 'at least in this case.' The bench took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Amit nand Tiwari that the state itself has lodged over 40 FIRs in cases related to allotment of liquor shop licences from 2014 and now the ED jumps in the picture and raids the TASMAC. 'How can you raid the state-run TASMAC,' the bench asked. The DMK-run state government and TASMAC moved the top court against the raids conducted by the ED at the premises of TASMAC. The pleas challenged an April 23 order of the Madras High Court dismissing its pleas giving the go ahead for the ED action. The ED was allowed to proceed with its action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
