A bench led by justice Bela Trivedi said such an attitude cannot be tolerated. In view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the bench said the district collectors can appear before ED after polling concludes in Tamil Nadu.
Deprecating the conduct of the district collectors, the bench verbally remarked that it shows the officers “do not have the respect for the court, or law, much less the Constitution”.
The officers have been asked to appear before ED on April 25. Warning of strict action in case of further non-compliance, SC posted the matter for hearing on May 6.
The development took place during the resumed hearing of an appeal by ED against the Madras High Court’s decision to stay its summons to five district collectors in Tamil Nadu in connection with a probe into a sand mining case. The apex court, at the last hearing, had verbally observed that it was unusual for the Tamil Nadu government to approach the high court challenging the ED summons in the first place.
