Supreme Court Declines Tamil Nadu's Transfer Plea in TASMAC Case

The Supreme Court of India refused the Tamil Nadu government's request to transfer its petitions relating to recent ED actions on TASMAC. The Madras High Court will handle the issues, despite previous recusals. TASMAC sought relief, arguing that the ED's actions violated federal principles and harassed employees.

In a significant legal move, the Supreme Court has declined to entertain the Tamil Nadu government's plea to transfer cases involving recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions against state-owned TASMAC from the Madras High Court to another jurisdiction. The top court emphasized that the legal issues should be resolved by the Madras High Court.

Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, the bench presiding over the matter, noted a 1956 judgment that has already settled the legal standpoint on search and seizure actions. In a subsequent exchange, the Chief Justice pointed out the elevated privacy concerns in related cases involving journalists.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Tamil Nadu government, opted to withdraw the transfer pleas following the bench's observations. This decision follows an ED investigation uncovering alleged financial misconduct by TASMAC, involving distilleries and bottling entities in unaccounted cash operations and illicit transactions.

(With inputs from agencies.)