Chennai: Madras high court on Tuesday suggested that the Tamil Nadu govt cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the suspected irregularities in the functioning of Tasmac and not view it as a ‘battle of egos’.
A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice K Rajasekar made the observation as the advocate-general P S Raman submitted that the state was not in a position to cooperate with the inquiry at this point, as the ED personnel barged into Tasmac offices without making any effort to seek the cooperation of the corporation or the state govt.
The submissions were made on the pleas moved by Tasmac and Tamil Nadu govt, seeking to declare the raids conducted by the ED on the premises of Tasmac as illegal.
Raman contended that Tasmac was not arrayed as an accused in any of the FIRs relied on by the ED, which were the basis for the raids.
He pointed out that soon after the raids, the state president of a national party levelled serious allegations against Tasmac based on the ED raids. “I am concerned about the image of the state and Tasmac. If they have done any wrong, we will pull them up,” he added.
Earlier, representing Tasmac, senior advocate Vikas Singh contended that in every state where the opposition is in power, the ED will pick anyone and launch a probe. “If the ED had credibility, then it would be doing similar probes in BJP-ruled states also. It is not as if the excise departments of those states are not corrupt,” he said.
Singh also wondered why the ED initiated the action suddenly before the assembly election in the state.