The Delhi High Court quashed the EOW FIR and ED’s ECIR against NewsClick and founder Prabir Purkayastha, holding that allegations concerning FDI and financial irregularities disclosed no cognisable offence. The Court termed the proceedings mala fide and an abuse of power targeting independent journalism.
The Karnataka High Court held that the Enforcement Directorate must strictly comply with statutory requirements before provisionally attaching property under the PMLA, emphasizing that mere reproduction of legal provisions cannot replace genuine application of mind or justify attachment without specific material supporting such action.
A Delhi Court, while discharging Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others in the excise policy case, criticised the ED for making arrests before the predicate offence is judicially tested. The Court warned that mechanical use of PMLA powers risks violating Article 21 and turning investigation into punishment.
