'Do not misuse Money Laundering Act like the dowry law': Supreme Court criticises ED

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court reminded the Enforcement Directorate that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is not meant to be misused to keep the accused in jail for life. The criticism came while granting bail to former excise officer Arun Pati Tripathi, an accused in the liquor lobby bribery case in Chhattisgarh.

The Chhattisgarh High Court had quashed the trial court's acceptance of the ED's charge sheet in the case. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan criticised the ED's move to keep the accused in jail even after this. The ED hid the order of the Chhattisgarh High Court. This is shocking. The Supreme Court added that the officials should be summoned for an issue like this.

Is this also being misused like the dowry law? The idea of ​​the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is not to keep the accused in jail forever. The court also asked what message the ED was trying to send through this. The court's criticism came when Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, who appeared for the ED, strongly opposed the bail application of the former excise officer. The ED argued that the High Court had quashed the trial court's action in accepting the charge sheet on the ground that there was no permission by prosecution. The central agency also asked that bail not be granted on technical grounds. The Supreme Court did not accept it.