Mumbai. The Bombay High Court on Monday reprimanded the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for interrogating an elderly man overnight. ED had interrogated a 64 year old man arrested in money laundering case throughout the night. The court told the ED that the right to sleep is a basic human need, which cannot be violated. ED had arrested Israni in August 2023.
A division bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Manjusha Deshpande said that statements should not be recorded at night. During this period, the mental understanding of any person reduces. This order of the court came on the petition of 64-year-old Ram Israni. He had challenged his arrest in a money laundering case.
Who opened fire at Salman Khan’s house? Identification done, big revelation of crime branch
Israni said in his petition that he had appeared before the agency on August 7, 2023 on the summons issued. He was interrogated the whole night and was arrested in the case the next day. The bench rejected the petition but said that it disapproved of the practice of interrogating the petitioner overnight. Investigating agency’s lawyer Hiten Venegaonkar told the court that Israni had given consent to record her statement at night.
According to the petition, ED officials interrogated Israni from night till early morning. The court said, ‘Whether voluntary or otherwise, we condemn the manner in which the statement of the petitioner was recorded so late in the night, which continued till 3.30 in the morning.’
The court said that the right to sleep is a basic human need and depriving it is a violation of a person’s human rights. The court said that it considers it appropriate to direct the ED to issue a circular/guidelines regarding the timing of recording the statement when the summons is issued. The bench has listed the matter for observation on September 9.
,
Tags: Bombay high court, Directorate of Enforcement, Money Laundering Case
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 15, 2024, 22:40 IST