ED Assistant Director Vikash Kumar appeared before the Madras High Court and offered an unconditional apology, following which the court closed the contempt petition.
Published Dec 16, 2025 | 9:07 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 16, 2025 | 9:07 AM
Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Synopsis: In a contempt of court petition filed by film producer Akash Baskaran, ED Assistant Director Vikash Kumar appeared in person before the Madras High Court and tendered an unconditional apology. The case relates to alleged irregularities in the TASMAC.
In a contempt of court petition filed by film producer Akash Baskaran, Enforcement Directorate (ED) Assistant Director Vikash Kumar appeared in person before the Madras High Court and tendered an unconditional apology.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation). The ED had conducted searches at premises belonging to Akash Baskaran and businessman Vikram Ravindran, and seized certain documents from the former.
Petitions were filed before the Madras High Court challenging the ED action. The high court ordered the ED to return the documents seized from Akash Baskaran and also restrained it from taking any further action.
Despite the subsisting stay order of the High Court, it was alleged that the ED’s appellate authority issued a notice relating to the seized documents, following which a summons was served on Akash Baskaran. Alleging violation of the court’s order, Akash Baskaran filed a contempt of court petition against the Enforcement Directorate.
When the matter came up for hearing before a Division Bench comprising Justice MS Ramesh and Justice V Lakshminarayanan, the judges questioned why Assistant Director Vikash Kumar was not present in court. The counsel for the ED submitted that an exemption from personal appearance had been granted earlier.
The bench observed that the exemption was granted only after the ED had informed the court that an appeal was pending before the Supreme Court. As the said appeal had since been dismissed, the officer ought to have appeared in person. The ED counsel then assured the court that Vikash Kumar would appear at the next hearing.
Subsequently, in the contempt proceedings, ED Assistant Director Vikash Kumar appeared before the Madras High Court and offered an unconditional apology, following which the court closed the contempt petition.
Meanwhile, in the same case, contempt notices had also been issued to the Chairperson of the ED Appellate Tribunal, Pradeep Kumar Upadhyaya, and its Registrar (Administration), Nazrin Siddique. As they did not appear in person, it was informed that the notices had not been served on them.
Taking note of this, the high court directed the Registrar (Administration) of the ED Appellate Tribunal, Nazrin Siddique, to appear before the court on 19 January 2026.
