

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has closed the petitions filed by the TN Public Secretary and five district collectors challenging the summons issued to them by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the probe into the proceeds of crime generated through illegal sand mining in the state.
Justices SM Subramaniam and M Jothiraman passed the order following the submission made by Advocate General PS Raman who said that the petitions have become infructuous after the collectors appeared before the central agency.
The top court had ordered the collectors to appear before the ED while allowing the special leave petition filed by the agency against a Madras HC order staying the summons. The petitions were filed in 2023 after five collectors were summoned.
The court also dismissed as withdrawn another batch of petitions seeking the court to restrain the ED from proceeding in matters concerning the state without obtaining prior consent.