New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh circular directing its officials or investigating officers (IOs) ) to record statements of individuals summoned under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during office hours and not to keep them waiting for hours at their offices
The circular was issued on October 11 following the Bombay high court direction after the court heard a petition of a 64-year-old man who said he was summoned to the ED office for questioning and was kept waiting post mid-night.
Recording of his statement, at unearthly hours, “definitely results in deprivation of a person’s sleep, basic human right of a individual”, the court said.
The court said it “disapproved” of such a practice by the agency and directed it to issue a circular or directive to its IOs regarding timing and recording of statements of people following issuance of summons under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
