Institute of Legal and Management Studies

A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court accusing the Enforcement Directorate of illegally arresting and manhandling a political leader of Opposition in Haryana (Congress).

The matter was mentioned today before a bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih. However, as it was an unlisted mentioning, the bench told the counsel to go through the appropriate mentioning procedure.

Recently, ED is reported to have arrested Haryana MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker (Congress) from a 5-star hotel in Delhi. Chhoker and his sons are facing charges of duping hundreds of homebuyers and siphoning off over Rs.500 crores through their real-estate group - the Mahira Group.

It is alleged that Mahira Infratech Pvt Ltd, owned by Chhoker and his family, collected Rs. 363 crores from homebuyers for the construction of 1,500 flats to be delivered in 2021-2022. The company accounts, funds were allegedly siphoned off as advance loan to other firms as well as diverted for personal use and purchase of several properties.

As per ED, Chhoker is the director of the firms of Mahira Infratech Pvt Ltd. He was issued summons by the special court but remained absconding. Non-bailable warrants were also issued against him, his properties attached and auctioned by ED, and anticipatory bail plea rejected. Finally, he came to be arrested last week, following a "brief scuffle".