The Supreme Court has declared the arrest of former Congress MLA Surendra Panwar in a money laundering case as illegal. The court criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for harsh and inhuman treatment during the investigation. A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih upheld the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision, which termed Panwar’s arrest unlawful.
The top court clarified that its comments and those of the High Court were limited to bail proceedings and did not address the merits of the case. Panwar had been arrested on July 20, 2024, in Gurugram in connection with an illegal mining case. After three months in jail, he was released on September 25, 2024, following the High Court’s order. The ED challenged the order in the Supreme Court, which rejected its arguments.
The apex court condemned the ED for interrogating Panwar for nearly 15 hours, calling it degrading and inhuman. The High Court had previously noted that Panwar was questioned from 11 a.m. to 1:40 a.m., violating basic human dignity.
Panwar contested the assembly elections from Sonipat on a Congress ticket shortly after his release but lost. The Supreme Court’s ruling provides a major relief to Panwar while raising questions about the ED’s investigation practices.
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