ED faces setback in masala bond case; High Court to hear case only after election

KOCHI: No immediate court intervention in ED's appeal against ex-minister TM Thomas Isaac in masala bond case. The High Court said that the hearing will be held only after the elections. The division bench rejected the ED's request for urgent hearing in the case.

The ED appealed against the High Court single bench order that Thomas Isaac should be questioned only after the election. Hearing the appeal, the High Court asked the ED under what circumstances it was necessary to hear the matter on an urgent basis. Thomas Isaac, the Left candidate from Pathanamthitta constituency, accused the ED's action of affecting the elections. However, the ED maintained that there was no move to arrest Isaac and the probe was to find out whether there had been any violation of the FEMA Act.

Thomas Isaac's lawyer accused the ED of issuing summons continuously without even giving him time to breathe, even though the ED had said that the interrogation would be videotaped. He also argued that the ED was giving the information to the media. The court asked the ED why the urgency when the election is less than ten days away.

The High Court had earlier clarified that there is no need to question the candidate Isaac at this time. The High Court will hear the case in detail after the summer break. The Enforcement Directorate had submitted some documents to the High Court specifying the requirements for questioning Isaac in the case.