New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to list for hearing a batch of petitions which sought a review of its 2022 verdict that had upheld the Enforcement Directorate’s powers to arrest, attach properties involved in money laundering and carry out search and seizure under the PMLA.
The Centre had contended that the hearing of the review petitions cannot go beyond the two specific issues flagged by the apex court bench that issued notices on the petitions in August 2022. The apex court had, in July 2022, upheld the ED’s powers to arrest, attach properties involved in money laundering and carry out search and seizure under the PMLA.
In view of the urgency, the matter will be heard by the bench comprising the CJI and Justices Bagchi and Mohana, the bench said, adding that the next date of hearing will be notified later. “Since the proposed issues are arising in the review proceedings, we propose to firstly hear the parties on the issue of maintainability of the review petitions, followed by the hearing on the questions proposed to be raised on behalf of the review petitioners,” the bench had said. It said eventually, the questions that might finally arise for consideration would also be determined by the court, if it holds that the review pleas are maintainable. Observing that money laundering is a “threat” to the good functioning of a financial system the world over, the apex court had upheld the validity of certain provisions of the PMLA, underlining that it is not an “ordinary offence”. The top court had said authorities under the 2002 law are “not police officers as such” and the Enforcement Case Information Report cannot be equated with an FIR under the Code of Criminal Procedure .
