The Supreme Court was told yesterday that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been given “drastic powers” in investigating money laundering cases and these powers need to be reined in. A bench of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh was hearing a batch of pleas relating to Gurugram-based realty group M3M under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing on behalf of directors of realty group M3M, said, “These are drastic powers given to the ED. If the court does not rein them in, no one is safe in this country. See how the arrest was done. They were cooperating. The arrest was in violation of my rights… These powers need to be reined in.”The top court was hearing a batch of pleas, including challenges to a recent Delhi High Court order that had refused to interfere with the arrest of M3M directors, in the money laundering probe related to a bribery case against a former judge.