Supreme Court Standoff: ED Under Scrutiny for 'Half-baked' Bail Reply

In a notable Supreme Court hearing, a law officer openly criticized the Enforcement Directorate for submitting an incomplete reply in a bail case, later attributing it to miscommunication. The incident revolves around Arun Pati Tripathi, linked to the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, with allegations of systemic corruption and illegal profiteering.

In a surprising development at the Supreme Court, a law officer criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for filing a 'half-baked' response in a bail case, later describing it as a miscommunication and urging the court to move forward with proceedings.

The bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, was hearing a plea from Arun Pati Tripathi, a telecom services officer. Tripathi is challenging an October 25, 2024, Chhattisgarh High Court decision that denied him bail in the highly-publicized Chhattisgarh liquor scam involving allegations of large-scale corruption and profiteering.

During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the ED, admitted to procedural lapses and announced a departmental inquiry. He also refuted any negligence on the part of the advocate-on-record (AoR). The court has scheduled the next hearing for February 5, 2024.

(With inputs from agencies.)