What action did the Madras High Court take against the PMLA authority?

The Madras High Court issued a statutory contempt of court notice to the PMLA adjudicating authority for issuing summons to film producer Akash Baskaran, despite an interim order passed by the court staying all further proceedings.

Why did the Madras High Court take this action against the PMLA authority?

The court took this action because the PMLA authority had wilfully disobeyed the court's interim order, which had directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to return seized documents to Akash Bhaskaran and restrained the agency from taking any further action based on those documents.

What is the next step in this case?

The Madras High Court has directed the personal appearance of the chairperson of the PMLA adjudicating authority and its registrar on November 14, 2025, to address the contempt of court allegations.

Home / Crime and Justice / Madras High Court Holds PMLA Authority in Contempt for Defying Interim Order

Madras High Court Holds PMLA Authority in Contempt for Defying Interim Order

18 Oct

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Summary

Madras High Court issued contempt notice to PMLA authority
PMLA authority summoned film producer despite court's interim order
Court directed personal appearance of PMLA authority's chairperson and registrar

Madras High Court Holds PMLA Authority in Contempt for Defying Interim Order

On October 18, 2025, the Madras High Court took a strong stance against the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) adjudicating authority, issuing a statutory contempt of court notice for its actions in defiance of the court's interim order.

The issue stems from an ongoing investigation into a suspected liquor scam involving Tasmac, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation. As part of this probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted searches at the properties of film producer Akash Bhaskaran and businessman Vikram Ravindran, seizing documents from Bhaskaran.

However, the high court had previously directed the ED to return the seized documents to Bhaskaran and restrained the agency from taking any further action based on those documents. Despite this interim order, the PMLA adjudicating authority proceeded to issue summons to Bhaskaran, prompting the court to take action.

The division bench of Justices M.S. Ramesh and V. Lakshminarayanan has now ordered the personal appearance of the PMLA authority's chairperson and registrar on November 14, 2025, to address the contempt of court allegations. This development underscores the court's commitment to upholding its orders and ensuring the proper conduct of the ongoing investigation.

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