October 16, 2025

New Delhi woke up to a double drama on Tuesday in the courts! Picture this: The Supreme Court is asking the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if its deep dive into money laundering tied to Tamil Nadu's huge liquor sale corruption case is stepping on the state’s toes and hurting India's federal setup. The bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran threw straight questions: “What happens to the federal structure? Law & order are a state subject. Would ED investigations into FIRs lodged by state police not amount to encroaching upon police probe? Can ED go and investigate any crime relating to corruption in any state for inquiring into the money laundering aspect?” The ED shot back, explaining it must investigate anywhere once a First Information Report is filed under the anti-money laundering law. But, that’s not all! Over in Delhi, the High Court slammed the brakes on residents of Signature View Apartments who pleaded for more time to move out. This comes amid fears the buildings are dilapidated and unsafe, as even the Supreme Court had noted on October 10. The bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedella made it clear: “We will not put our seal at your risk.” Their blunt order: no extensions. “If we extend time for you, we have to extend for all. This is a well-reasoned order; you challenged it, nothing was done. You are, in fact, under contempt.” While giving a slight olive branch, the court told the residents, many of whom are lawyers, to talk to senior advocate Sanjay Jain, who represents the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Jain stuck to his guns, citing the Supreme Court’s safety concerns and said no relief was possible. Still, the High Court reminded him sharply, “Let’s not forget the residents were put in this state by your client.” Indeed, residents bought flats with their hard-earned money but now face eviction from unsafe homes. This crisis touches other agencies like NBCC too. Earlier this year in March, the DDA moved to demolish and rebuild Signature View after High Court approval. And last week, the Supreme Court refused to freeze the demolition order. So, while the Supreme Court questions if the ED’s probe steps over its boundaries in Tamil Nadu, Delhi courts are firmly drawing the line: no more time to vacate unsafe homes at Signature View. Drama, decisions, and debates keeping India’s courts buzzing!

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Tags: Supreme court, Ed investigation, Tasmac corruption, Federal structure, Delhi high court, Signature view apartments,