SC extends relief to Karti from ED arrest till Mar. 26
In a huge relief to Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P. Chidambaram, the Supreme Court on Thursday restrained the Enforcement Directorate from arresting him in connection with the INX media case till March 26.
A three- judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A. M. Kanwilkar and D. Y. Chandrachud, while extending the protection of stay of arrest granted by the Delhi high court till March 22, transferred to the apex court all the petitions filed by Karti challenging the powers of the ED to arrest him under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act even without registering an FIR.
The bench said it would hear the transfer and all related petitions on March 26 to settle the issue. It passed this order on appeals filed by the ED challenging the March 9 order of the Delhi high court granting protection from arrest to Karti. The bench said it would also examine whether the high courts can grant anticipatory bail to an accused under the PMLA in a writ petition.
Senior counsel Kapil Sibal strenuously argued that in the absence of registration of FIR by the Enforcement Directorate or receipt of a complaint, no arrest could be made.
Additional solicitor- general Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, argued that the registration of ECIR ( economic case information report) is itself based on a cognisable offence and the ED has the power to arrest, search, seize and attachment of properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.