ED Clarifies Lawyer Summons Amid Controversy

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has clarified that its officers should not issue summons to advocates in violation of lawyer-client privilege, unless approved by the director. This follows criticism over summons issued to Supreme Court lawyers Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal in a money laundering investigation regarding Care Health Insurance Ltd.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has mandated that its investigating officers must not issue summons to lawyers in breach of the lawyer-client privilege as outlined in the Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. Exceptions to this rule require approval from the ED's director.

This directive comes after widespread criticism, notably following summons issued to prominent Supreme Court lawyers Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal. The Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCAORA) condemned the move, urging the Chief Justice of India to take notice.

The ED clarified that Venugopal was summoned as an independent director of a company in a money laundering probe related to Care Health Insurance Ltd. Allegations claimed shares were undervalued in ESOPs despite regulatory rejection. The summons to Venugopal has been withdrawn, and future communications will be conducted via email.

(With inputs from agencies.)