The Madras High Court on Friday, stayed all further proceedings by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against film producer Akash Baskaran and businessman Vikram Ravindran in connection with the TASMAC money laundering probe.
A Division Bench of Justices M.S. Ramesh and V. Lakshminarayanan held that the ED’s search and seizure operation was “wholly without authority or jurisdiction.”
Highlights Of The Judgment
No Incriminating Evidence Found: The court examined ED records in a sealed cover and found no material linking the petitioners to the TASMAC case when the search was authorized.
Interim Stay Granted: The Bench ordered an immediate halt to ED proceedings, calling the May 15 authorization legally untenable.
The ED was directed to return confiscated items, including electronic devices and property documents, to the petitioners.
No Tampering Warning: The petitioners were barred from altering or disposing of the returned materials until further court orders.
ED’s Appeal Request Rejected
Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju sought a three-week hold on the stay to allow the ED to appeal in the Supreme Court, but the Bench declined, stating the order would be issued immediately.
The case relates to an ED probe into alleged money laundering in Tamil Nadu’s liquor sales through TASMAC. The HC’s decision deals a setback to the agency’s investigation, raising questions over procedural validity.
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