NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday withdrew from the Supreme Court its Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order quashing the arrest of former Yamunanagar MLA and senior INLD leader, Dilbag Singh in a money-laundering case connected to an alleged illegal mining scam.Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, appearing for the ED submitted before the court that it wanted to withdraw the plea, to which the top court’s three-judge bench, led by Justice Surya Kant, and comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and Ujjal Bhuyan agreed and said, ” The SLP is dismissed as withdrawn and the question of law is kept open.”The apex court clarified that the question of law, as to whether the ED can restrain the movement of accused persons whose premises are being searched by it, is kept open.The Punjab and Haryana High Court in its order, while quashing the arrest of Singh, had held that the ED cannot restrain the movements of the persons, whose premises are being searched in money laundering cases. It was challenged by the ED in the top court seeking setting aside of the HC’s order.According to the prosecution, Singh along with his family members were illegally detained by the ED from January 4 to 8, 2024, when the search and seizure at their houses took place.The HC, while ordering in favour of Singh, said, “It is apparent that respondent authorities (ED) had illegally confined and unlawfully restrained the petitioner (Singh) and others, in the premises in question for a period of five days from January 04, to 08, 2024.”
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