High Court’s Warning on ED Interrogation

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a stern warning to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar for 14 hours and 40 minutes continuously. Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu remarked that such an action was “not heroic” but rather “against the dignity of a human being.”

The court called for measures to sensitize ED officers and to establish some “reasonable time limits” for the questioning of suspects. These remarks came as the court canceled the arrest of Congress leader Panwar, who is the party’s candidate for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. On July 19, 2024, Panwar appeared at the ED’s regional office and faced questioning from 11 am until 1:40 am the next day.

The court highlighted that Panwar had ceased to be the Director of Development Strategies (India) in November 2013. It stated that even if the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a penalty on DSPL in 2022, this would not render Panwar liable under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court further noted that the ED lacked evidence to demonstrate that Panwar had either directly or indirectly participated in the crime, leading to the quashing of his arrest.