CHENNAI: The state government on Wednesday told the Madras High Court that the search and seizure carried out by the Enforcement Directorate on the premises of Tasmac has brought disrepute to the public sector undertaking and indirectly to the state.
Advocate General PS Raman made the submission before the division bench of justices SM Subramaniam and K Rajasekar during the arguments on the petitions filed against the search and seizures carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
He said Tasmac was set up under a state legislation and it has been performing its statutory duties.
“It is Tasmac today, it may be Tamin, Cooperative Societies or Aavin tomorrow,” Raman said, noting there are hundreds of public sector undertakings and if there is any corruption, it is the duty of the state government to act upon and not the ED.
He charged the ED of ‘gross violation’ of the human rights of the officers, particularly women officers till late in the night and the entire action of ED have been recorded in the CCTV cameras.
Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, submitted the agency has come into the scene based on the FIRs registered by the DVAC under sections 7, 12 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) which are predicate offence.
Regional managers are connected to Tasmac’s head office and the records and data on sales, intend for purchase, transportation and postings were kept there necessitating the searches, he said, adding large-scale corruption was found to have committed.
Meanwhile, the bench raised two queries to the ASG - When multiple FIRs were registered in different places, why the agency had searched the Tasmac headquarters and the jurisdiction to hold such search.
Since the arguments were completed, the bench directed the parties to file their written submissions by April 22.