The Supreme Courtroom Tuesday refused to entertain pleas by the Tamil Nadu authorities and its liquor advertising and marketing arm Tamil Nadu State Advertising and marketing Company looking for switch of petitions filed by them earlier than the Madras Excessive Courtroom in opposition to the latest search and seizure carried out by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on TASMAC places of work over allegations of corruption to another Excessive Courtroom.
“Let or not it’s determined there,” Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna presiding over a two-judge bench mentioned as senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi urged the courtroom to switch the pleas.
The petitioners mentioned the matter additionally concerned questions of seizure of digital units, and, due to this fact, the Supreme Courtroom should cope with it within the mild of the privateness judgment. Nevertheless, CJI Khanna identified that the problem pending earlier than it was that of search and seizure of digital devices of journalists.
Solicitor Basic Tushar Mehta countered the submissions and mentioned that the problem of the seizure of units was not raised earlier than the HC. Mehta contended that it was an try at discussion board purchasing.
The bench, additionally comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar, mentioned the query of search and seizure had been settled by the highest courtroom in a 1956 judgment, and, due to this fact, the Madras HC ought to proceed to listen to the matter. “You’ll be able to come right here later,” mentioned CJI Khanna.
Following the remarks, the Tamil Nadu Authorities and TASMAC selected to withdraw their pleas.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out the searches at TASMAC places of work in March amid a large-scale investigation into alleged corruption and monetary irregularities inside the physique, which oversees liquor gross sales in Tamil Nadu. ED officers raided 20 places, together with the company’s headquarters in Chennai, between March 6 and March 8.
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In a report later, ED mentioned its probe got here after instances have been registered below the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. The Central company additionally mentioned that greater than Rs 1,000 crore of unaccounted cash could have circulated by way of TASMAC on account of irregularities.
