Supreme Court Raps Enforcement Directorate Over Tamil Nadu Raids: "Crossing All Limits"

The Supreme Court has rebuked the Enforcement Directorate for "crossing all limits" in raids - carried out in March and earlier this month - of state-run liquor shops in Tamil Nadu. An irked top court issued a notice to the federal agency Thursday and directed it to stand down for now. A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai told the ED, "You may register cases against individuals... but corporations? Your ED is passing all limits! Issue notice, returnable after vacation." "Meanwhile, stay granted of further proceedings..." the Chief Justice said. The Supreme Court's stay order echoes that handed down by the Madras High Court in March The ED's knuckles were rapped after senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the court the agency had seized and cloned multiple mobile phones during raids on March 14 and May 16. Back in March the agency claimed it found "multiple irregularities" in the operations of TASMAC, i.e., the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited, which has a monopoly over liqour trade in the state. The ED also said it found "unaccounted" cash worth Rs 1,000 crore.