New Delhi

The Supreme Court has junked a businessman's plea challenging the legality of searches conducted by the ED at his residence in connection with the alleged money laundering probe linked to the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana upheld a Madras High Court order, which had declined to examine the legality of the searches conducted.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by P R Rajesh Kumar seeking the quashing of search and seizure proceedings conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at his residence on May 16, 17 and 18 last year.

The HC had junked Kumar's plea on December 10, 2025, and held that it was unnecessary at that stage to examine the validity of the search proceedings.

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The ED's money laundering case is based on multiple FIRs registered by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption concerning alleged corruption in the state-run liquor corporation TASMAC.