After posing tough questions to ED, HC bench recuses from Tasmac case

A division bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday recused itself from hearing petitions filed by the state government and Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) against the action initiated over alleged corruption by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

- R SIVAKUMAR @ Chennai

Meanwhile, a few employees of the liquor corporation, in individual affidavits filed before the court, have accused the agency of confining them under unbearable conditions for long hours till past midnight during the three-day search operation at the Tasmac headquarters.

The bench of Justices MS Ramesh and N Senthilkumar on Tuesday said, "We are not taking up the petitions. We have some reasons (to recuse)." The petitions may now be listed before the bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and K Rajasekar.

Justices Ramesh and Senthilkumar, while hearing the petitions on March 20, passed certain remarks and questioned the ED's rationale behind detaining Tasmac officers and employees for long hours during the agency's searches at the Tasmac offices, which lasted from March 6 to 8. The judges had also orally directed the ED not to proceed further with any coercive action until March 25 and to file counter-affidavits by then.