Bombay HC tells ED to not take coercive action against Avinash Bhosale

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of the plea filed by Pune businessman Avinash Bhosale and his son Amit challenging the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till February 24 after ED gave an oral assurance that it will not take any coercive action against the two.

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of the plea filed by Pune businessman Avinash Bhosale and his son Amit challenging the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till February 24 after ED gave an oral assurance that it will not take any coercive action against the two. ED had issued summons to the father-son duo in the ongoing investigation into alleged violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The court directed the duo to cooperate with the investigation and appear before ED officials on February 17 as per summons issued by the central agency.

Bombay high court. (HT FILE)

A division bench of justice SS Shinde and justice Manish Pitale, while hearing the petition of Bhosale and his son, was informed by senior counsel Shirish Gupte that his clients were willing to cooperate with ED in the investigation, but were apprehensive of being arrested by agency officials when they responded to the summons. Hence, the father was seeking directions from the court to ED to refrain from taking coercive action.

However, special counsel for ED Hiten Venegaonkar opposed the plea and said the Bhosales had not responded to the summons and hence the plea should not be allowed.

The court then observed that as the applicants were willing to cooperate with the investigation, there was no hurry for arresting them.

Venegaonkar then orally submitted that if the Bhosales were willing to cooperate and respond to the summons for February 17, ED would not take any coercive action.

The court accepted the assurance and directed the Bhosales to respond to the summons and directed ED not to take any coercive action till the next hearing on February 24.

The Bhosales have been accused of violation of FEMA and ED had initiated investigations last year. The duo approached the HC last week after ED raided their office premises in Pune on Tuesday and Wednesday and brought Amit along with them for interrogation in the case. Amit was interrogated for around 18 hours.