The Supreme Court has expressed its concerns regarding the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) swift actions in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, which involves an alleged fraud of ₹2,000 crore. The apex court took issue with the ED’s eagerness to make arrests, especially when it had been explicitly instructed not to employ any coercive measures against the accused.
Justice Kaul, commenting on the situation, remarked,
“In our view, it is an overreach of our order by the High Court. And the trial court also immediately issued the NBW (Non-Bailable Warrant). I don’t know what the hurry is.”
This statement underscores the court’s surprise and disapproval of the ED’s hurried actions, which seemed to bypass the directives of the top court.
Back in July, the Supreme Court had issued clear guidelines to all investigating agencies involved in the case. They were directed to “hold their hands in all manner” and abstain from taking any coercive actions against those accused in the scam. This directive was highlighted in a petition by Dhebar, who pointed out the ED’s overreach. He stated,
“Such application itself is in violation of the order dated July 18, 2023 passed by this court as the hands of the respondent agency (ED) were ‘stayed in all manner’ by this court and thus the respondent agency ought not to have filed the aforesaid application.”
The Chhattisgarh liquor scam, which the ED is currently investigating, allegedly transpired between 2019 and 2022. The case has garnered significant attention due to the multiple allegations of corruption associated with it.