TN Govt, TASMAC take legal battle to court over ED raids

The Tamil Nadu government and TASMAC have moved the Madras High Court against ED raids on the state-run liquor sales department. On Wednesday, a division bench of Justices MS Ramesh and N Senthikumar granted an early hearing.

The state argues that ED conducted searches without consent, violating federalism. The petition claims ED exceeded its authority and infringed on state autonomy. Officials also allege that ED harassed TASMAC employees with long questioning hours. The plea seeks court orders preventing further harassment and demands copies of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).

ED raided TASMAC headquarters on March 6 and 8, later claiming ₹1,000 crore in irregularities. Officials recovered data on transfer postings, transport tenders, bar license tenders, and overcharging of ₹10-30 per bottle. TASMAC operates under Minister Senthil Balaji, who also oversees the excise and electricity departments. Balaji is currently out on bail after ED arrested him in 2023 for an alleged transport department scam.

During Wednesday’s assembly session, Balaji criticized ED for not explaining the raids even after ten days. Responding to BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan’s questions, he accused the BJP of trying to discredit the DMK government. Without naming BJP directly, he claimed some people wanted to undermine DMK’s achievements.

“They tried exposing us with a magnifying glass but found nothing,” Balaji said, referring to BJP state president K Annamalai, who flogged himself last December in protest against DMK policies. Balaji also alleged that ED timed the raids before the state budget on March 14 to disrupt welfare schemes.

Balaji highlighted that DMK has shut down 603 TASMAC retail shops since taking power in 2021. He reiterated the party’s commitment to gradually phasing out liquor shops as promised.

The legal battle now shifts to the High Court, where Tamil Nadu seeks to curb ED’s interference in state matters.