Avoid coercive action against Nalini in chit fund scam, SC tells ED
New Delhi, Aug 3: The Supreme Court on Friday restrained the Enforcement Directorate from taking coercive action against Nalini Chidambaram, wife of former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.
A bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan also sought a response from ED and stayed a Madras High Court division bench's July 10 order that refused to quash the summons issued to Nalini Chidambaram by the investigating agency.
She has challenged the order in the apex court. Earlier, a single Judge of the High Court too had rejected her plea against the ED summons.
The ED had directed her to appear as a witness in its probe into alleged money laundering in the scam, in which several key politicians were said to be involved.
The agency had issued the summons on September 7, 2016, as Nalini Chidambaram's name was mentioned in a letter of Saradha scam "mastermind" Sudipta Sen to the Central Bureau of Investigation in April 2013.
Nalini Chidambaram, a senior advocate, was allegedly paid a legal fee of Rs 1 crore by the Saradha Group for her appearances in court and the Company Law Board in a case pertaining to a television channel purchase deal.
If the trend of summoning and calling advocates who have been engaged by their clients for rendering professional services was not nipped in the bud, it may lead to disastrous consequences, she had contended in the High Court.
The ED summons, issued under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, required Nalini Chidambaram to appear before an authorised ED officer at its Kolkata office.
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Man found dead in his shed on farm premises in Kollur, police file FIR
Kollur: In an incident reported from Jadkal village on Thursday morning, a 49-year-old man was found dead inside a shed in a farm, where he had been living for some time now.
The deceased worker is identified as Xavier CJ, son of Moli of Jadkal. His wife had moved to her maternal home in Kundapur, taking their children with her. Xavier is learned to have been living alone in the shed on this account.
Six months ago, allegedly due to his addiction to liquor and loneliness due to his distance from his family, Xavier is learned to have attempted to kill himself by cutting his hand.
On Thursday, Moli is learned to have returned from the mass at the church and visited the shed to call his son for Good Friday, but found Xavier lying dead alone in the shed.
Moli filed a police complaint expressing suspicion that his son was murdered.
Kollur Police officers have filed a case based on his complaint and are investigating.
