In a riveting courtroom drama at the Supreme Court today, Senior Advocate Harish Salve made an impassioned plea, urging the apex court to rein in the formidable powers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in probing money laundering cases. Representing the directors of renowned realty group M3M, Salve raised concerns over the potential threat to individual liberty if the ED's powers remain unchecked.

The Supreme Court was addressing a series of pleas, including challenges to a recent Delhi High Court ruling that refused to intervene in the arrest of M3M directors, Basant Bansal and Pankaj Bansal, in connection with a money-laundering investigation tied to a bribery case involving a former judge.

Salve, along with Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, passionately represented the Bansal brothers before the bench comprising Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh. "These are drastic powers given to the ED. If Lordships do not rein them in, no one is safe in this country," he warned, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

He further raised concerns about the manner in which the arrest was carried out, asserting that the directors were already cooperating with the investigation. "Arrest was in violation of my rights; then surely this Court can intervene," he added, calling for a closer examination of the extensive powers wielded by the ED.

Justice Sundresh, in a lighter vein, remarked, "You are right. It is a cat-and-mouse game. They are using the laws," acknowledging the complexity of the situation.

The Bansal brothers were arrested by the ED on June 14, following which a special court in Haryana's Panchkula remanded them to five days of custody. The brothers challenged the custody, contending that it amounted to illegal detention and was an attempt to evade the High Court's orders that granted them protection from coercive action in another money laundering case.

The case's background revolves around former Special Judge CBI/ED, Sudhir Parmar, who allegedly displayed favoritism towards the accused in a money laundering case related to the real estate firm IREO. The ED acted on information received and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Parmar, leading to the suspension of his position by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

After today's hearing, the Bansal brothers will be moving to the Punjab and Haryana High Court for anticipatory bail, signaling a pivotal turning point in the ongoing legal battle.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, informed the bench that the agency would challenge the order granting interim protection to the brothers from arrest in another case before the Delhi High Court tomorrow.

With the Supreme Court deferring the hearing on the agency's petitions for two weeks, the nation eagerly awaits the outcome of this high-stakes legal showdown.