The Court held that a reasonably convenient or reasonably requisite time to inform the arrested person about the grounds of his arrest would be within twenty-four hours of the arrest.
The recent Supreme Court order on the arrests made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) has led to a debate in the legal community. In the judgement, the Supreme Court held that such oral communication of the grounds of arrest is not sufficient compliance.
If a person is not allowed to leave the office of the ED and compelled to eat and sleep there, he is under detention. This restraint is in reality an arrest, the High Court noted.