From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior lawyer of Supreme Court, on Thursday dissected Wednesday’s Supreme Court judgment on the Enforcement Directorate’s powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), affirming that the court didn’t consider the pattern of selective and motivated deployment of ED in the last eight years.
“The ED has functioned, without the barest regard for the perception, as an extension of the ruling party that did not come under the court’s notice,” he said. He argued with illustrations:
— Shocking statistics of over 3,000 raids conducted since 2014 as against 112 in UPA regime between 2004-2014, illustrating weaponisation of the ED against the political rivals and those who routinely expose the government.
— A vast number of cases filed against the Opposition leaders, but almost no fresh case filed against the members of the ruling party or those in proximity of BJP.
— Once cases were initiated against members of the Opposition, but they were abandoned once the accused switched loyalty towards the ruling party.
— The pattern of malicious use also exposed the necessity of safegaurds, many of which were dismantled by the government through amendments. These considerations merited greater attention and intervention by the Supreme Court.
Singhvi said: “It is no one’s case, that the Government should not investigate money laundering or build strong mechanisms to tackle the problem of financial crimes. However, in the absence of meaningful safeguards, and with a government that has routinely stood and argued against the grant of fundamental rights to citizens before the very same Supreme Court, unbridled powers to investigating agencies promises devastating consequences for our democracy.”
