Madras HC halts ED's TASMAC investigation until March 25

The Madras High Court has temporarily halted the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) investigations at the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). This decision comes after the Tamil Nadu government and TASMAC filed a joint petition claiming the ED's actions were excessive and violated employee rights. The court's ruling will remain in effect until the next hearing scheduled for March 25. The petition argued that TASMAC had not been given the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) or informed about any specific offenses. It also accused the ED of intruding on TASMAC's premises and infringing on the privacy rights of its employees. TASMAC staff, including women, were reportedly detained for over 60 hours over three days, only being allowed to leave at night. Vikram Choudhry, the lawyer for TASMAC, described the raids as a serious invasion of privacy. He stated that the ED's search and seizure actions must be transparent and justified with proper reasons. Additionally, he mentioned that he would present CCTV footage to support the claims about the lengthy detentions. In response, the additional solicitor general representing the ED denied these allegations. The court has instructed the ED to submit copies of the FIR and ECIR, as well as any other relevant materials by March 24. The ED conducted searches at TASMAC on March 6 and 8, reporting findings of financial irregularities totaling ₹1,000 crore. A spokesperson for the DMK party expressed concern about the treatment of TASMAC employees during the ED's investigation. The court emphasized that the ED's powers should not be used arbitrarily and has directed them not to take any coercive actions against TASMAC officials until the next hearing.