Levelling allegations without proof: Supreme Court pulls up ED

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday chided the Enforcement Directorate (ED), noting that the Central Agency has made it a habit of levelling allegations without proof. The court was hearing a bail petition by an accused in a case of money laundering linked to allegations of corruption in liquor sales in Chhattisgarh under the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government between 2019 and 2022, NDTV reported.

While hearing the bail plea, Justice AS Oka noted, "We have seen several ED cases. It has become a pattern now. The ED is levelling allegations without evidence," NDTV quoted.

The court observed that the accused made Rs 40 crore from the proceeds of the crime, but it could not find where the money came from, or the agency could not make any connection with the man and any company.

The bench, which also included Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, said, "But you cannot say where this money came from; you cannot show any connection between this man and any company.”

According to the ED’s allegations, there were irregularities worth more than Rs 2,000 crore under the Bhupesh Baghel government. The agency alleged that these irregularities were carried out by a syndicate of senior state government officials, private players, and political executives, while the money laundering case is linked to the Income Tax department.

Bribes were taken from distillers in the state in exchange for the fixed market share, and country liquor was sold off the books, ED alleges.

Earlier, the court rebuked the Chhattisgarh government and asked how long it would keep an accused in jail, NDTV reported.