Leniency for Chidambaram, will help Mallya, Zakir Naik, Choksi, Nirav Modi says ED

New Delhi, Aug 30: During the course of the arguments in the Supreme Court, the Enforcement Directorate said that any leniency shown to P Chidambaram could impact pending cases against Vijay Mallya, Zakir Naik, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi.

The submission was made by Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, while opposing the petition by the former union minister, in which he had challenged the order of the Delhi High Court, which rejected his anticipatory bail.

Mehta said that if a mini-trial is held, where the court will ask for evidence first before ordering the arrest, our entire evidence, material and sources will be exposed. This would have a devastating effect on the probe, Mehta also contended.

The evidence in economic offences is largely digital and if shared with the accused, it would get wiped out within seconds and also put the witnesses under serious threat.

Mehta urged the court to understand the gravity of the offence and also not gauge a money laundering office by the punishment it carries. Instead analyse such an offence on the impact on society, the country and economy. Economic offenders will have to be dealt with differently as the loss to both the society and economy is huge, Mehta also argued.

The Supreme Court has reserved orders on the matter while directing the ED to supply the transcripts of the questioning held last December in a sealed cover. The court will pronounce its verdict on September 5, 2019.