While giving bail to Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on November 9, a court in Mumbai made scathing observations about the Enforcement Directorate, accusing the agency of selectively arresting individuals. The court also noted that the Enforcement Directorate has a tendency to arrest an accused person immediately but is then slow to prosecute them.
There have been several such instances recently where courts have criticised the agency for its investigation process. This criticism from the court comes after Opposition leaders and civil society members have condemned the central agency for using it vast powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 to allegedly targets critics of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The court made several adverse remarks on the Enforcement Directorate’s conduct in this case. It said that the agency had used a “pick and choose strategy” while making these arrests as other accused in the case had not been arrested. It also noted that the Enforcement Directorate had taken “different self-contradictory rather self-destructive stands” regarding certain proceeds of crimes in this case.
by Umang Poddar
17/11/2022