Probe Agency Can Summon Anyone Necessary For Investigation: Supreme Court

The bench was responding to a senior advocate's assertion that the Enforcement Directorate had not specified whether the officials were summoned as witnesses or accused.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly deprecated the non-appearance of five district collectors of Tamil Nadu before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an ongoing money laundering probe related to alleged illegal sand mining, despite the court's order.

It directed the officials to appear before the ED personally on April 25 saying failure to do so will have serious consequences.

A bench of justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal said the officials adopted a "cavalier approach" and the action shows they have no respect for the court, law and the Constitution.