Madras HC Summons PMLA Authority Over TASMAC Scam Summons to Akash Baskaran

Madras High Court on Friday unleashed its fury on the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Adjudicating Authority for brazenly ignoring its own interim orders. The court issued a stern statutory notice to the authority's chairperson and registrar, summoning them to appear on November 11, 2025, over summons sent to embattled film producer Akash Baskaran in the high-stakes ₹1,000 crore TASMAC scam investigation.

The explosive development unfolded during a contempt of court hearing filed by Baskaran, the head of Dawn Pictures, against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the adjudicating authority. Baskaran, whose name surfaced due to alleged proximity to ruling DMK leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, has been under the scanner since ED raids on May 15, 2025, targeted his Teynampet apartment and those of businessman associate Vikram Ravindran. The raids, linked to an alleged massive money-laundering racket involving Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC)—where distilleries reportedly issued bogus invoices to siphon off unaccounted cash for bribes—seized digital devices and sealed premises, sparking cries of overreach.

A division bench of Justices MS Ramesh and V Lakshminarayanan didn't mince words, slamming the authority for summoning Baskaran for a "final hearing" on October 10, despite a June 20, 2025, interim order staying all further proceedings under PMLA. "We do not appreciate the manner in which the petitioner is summoned for final arguments," the bench thundered, adjourning the matter to November 14 while demanding the authority's top brass explain their defiance.

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Baskaran's counsel, KM Kalicharan, laid bare the violations during Monday's arguments, pointing to a September 20 notice from the authority that flew in the face of the court's stay. This isn't the first time the ED's TASMAC probe has hit judicial turbulence. Back in June, the same bench had stayed ED actions, questioning the agency's powers under Section 17 of PMLA to seal locked premises without proper authorization—prompting Additional Solicitor General SV Raju to concede the illegality. The court had also ordered the return of seized items to Baskaran, barring any tampering, and referenced a May 22 Supreme Court interim order halting coercive steps against TASMAC officials.

The TASMAC scam, under probe since FIRs filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) between 2016 and 2021, alleges systemic corruption in liquor procurement, with under-reported expenses and fake bills enabling a whopping ₹1,000 crore diversion. Baskaran and Ravindran have vehemently denied involvement, arguing no predicate offences link them to the 41 FIRs against TASMAC officials. Their petitions highlighted procedural lapses, including seizures without their presence and no accusations naming them in the laundering case.

This latest HC salvo adds fuel to the fire, with earlier August fines of ₹30,000 imposed on the ED for delaying counter-affidavits. As the November dates loom, the case could redefine ED's boundaries in politically charged probes, especially amid accusations of targeting opposition-linked figures in non-BJP states. For Baskaran, it's a high-wire act balancing his film career with this unrelenting legal battle—will the court deliver justice or more twists in this TASMAC tangle? Stay tuned as the drama unfolds.

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