Title: Supreme Court Criticizes ED Over Tamil Nadu Raids, Warns Against Overreach
By Shubham Pawar, May 23, 2025
New Delhi — The Supreme Court has criticized the Enforcement Directorate’s recent raids on Tamil Nadu’s state-run liquor shops, saying the agency has overstepped its authority and broken the federal structure outlined by the Indian Constitution.
At a hearing on a petition from Tamil Nadu, the court spoke out about the ED after the government accused them of political raids without proper authority.
“You Can’t Smash Federalism”
Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud stressed that good cooperation between central and state agencies is required in a federal system. The senator made clear that “cooperative federalism” is based on constitutional rules, not just a saying. “The ED has no right to act as though it is immune from state laws or to keep its surveillance a secret.”
The court pointed out that, according to the law, ED needs to obey constitutional limits and ask state departments before acting on matters covered by state law such as liquor sales and distribution.
The backdrop for the protests is opposition to raids by police at TASMAC outlets.
The matter came to light when ED walked into many TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) outlets unexpectedly and accused them of irregularities in their financial dealings and illegally laundering money. The state government said the Center was using investigative agencies to harass parties that do not belong to the BJP.
Calling the raids an act of intimidation, Thangam Thennarasu said that the ED was being abused to unsettle democratically elected state governments
Court Directive: ED
Based on the Tamil Nadu government's suggestion, the Supreme Court told the ED to stop conducting raids in the state until it shows a proper reason for doing so. It also told the agency that it must provide a detailed account of the law and procedure used during the raids in an affidavit.
He said, “State institutions cannot lose their independence because of what any agency does.” Being accountable is very important.
People’s political and public responses
There has been an outpouring of political reactions since the ruling. While DMK leaders were happy with the outcome, the opposition parties pushed for a separate look at how ED functions in other states.
For their part, BJP representatives affirmed that the ED is properly carrying out its tasks to fight corruption and financial offenses in a fair manner.
A Case Study for the Balance Between the Centre and the States
This case highlights once more how there is a need for balance between central government power and state rights. Some legal experts say the court’s action could alter the way investigative agencies exercise their powers in India.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising pointed out that the court’s judgment proves that no institution, powerful as it might be, stands above the Constitution
0 Comments