Temporary relief for Tamil Nadu government in Tasmac liquor scam

The Madras High Court has temporarily stopped the Enforcement Directorate's investigation into the alleged liquor scam in Tamil Nadu.

Transcript

00:00Now, the alleged liquor scam in Tamil Nadu that's been dominating headlines in the state,

00:05there's temporary relief, respite that's come in for the Stalin government and that's come

00:09in from the Madras High Court, which has stopped the ED investigation in this particular case.

00:15It's interim relief because the Madras High Court has stepped in saying for the time being,

00:20the ED will not investigate.

00:22The Tamil Nadu government had challenged the ED TASMAC raids, remember that the Enforcement

00:27Directorate had conducted raids across Tamil Nadu, alleging that there were irregularities

00:32really in the kind of funds collected, the revenue that TASMAC shops, which are government

00:37regulated liquor shops in Tamil Nadu, the revenue that they generated.

00:41Now, the Tamil Nadu government had alleged that these ED raids actually breach federalism.

00:47The High Court has said, we will be hearing this particular case on Friday, but till Friday,

00:53the ED cannot move forward with the investigation.

00:56Anagha Keshav is joining us with more details on this.

00:59Anagha, respite for the Tamil Nadu government, albeit temporary, it's only until Friday till

01:05the next hearing comes up, but take us through really, why the Tamil Nadu government had

01:09approached the Madras High Court?

01:11What was their contention against the ED investigation?

01:17Well, Lakshita, the Tamil Nadu government along with the TASMAC believes that this TASMAC

01:21department falls entirely under the state government's purview.

01:25So for the enforcement directorate to jump the gun and investigate TASMAC is against

01:31the rights of federalism and against the separation of powers between the centre and the state

01:37is the kind of argument that the Tamil Nadu government has put forward.

01:41They've also gone ahead and said that at the time of raid at the investigation at TASMAC

01:45headquarters, when the officials asked ED officers if there was any ECIR proof or documents,

01:51the officers stated that they're not obligated to furnish any such documents to the officers

01:56at TASMAC is the kind of reply that allegedly that the ED officers have given.

02:01So this was the main point of contention by the Tamil Nadu government asking how can ED

02:06officers raid TASMAC without proper evidence in hand, without proper ECIR documents, number

02:11one.

02:12And number two, how can the ED surpass, you know, state's rights?

02:16TASMAC is something that falls under the state government's purview.

02:20So isn't this jumping the gun is what the state government has asked.

02:24And to this, the court has directed the enforcement directorate to file a response by Friday,

02:30post which the hearing will be taken up on 25th, that's Tuesday, the upcoming week.

02:36All right.

02:37Thanks, Anika, for getting us all of those details.