The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the District Collectors in Tamil Nadu for skipping the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate, despite the Apex Court directing them to appear before the ED in response to the summons issued under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Noting that such a ‘cavalier attitude’ could not be typically tolerated, the Bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal remarked that it showed that the officers did not have any respect for the court or the law, much less the Constitution of India.
However, taking in view the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the top court of the country permitted them to appear before the national agency after the polling was held in Tamil Nadu.
The Bench passed the order after Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal requested that the District Collectors be given one more chance to appear before the ED, since they were currently busy collecting poll-related data.
The Apex Court directed the officers to remain present before the ED on April 25, while warning them of strict action in case of any further non-compliance.
The Bench listed the matter for further hearing on May 6.