Supreme Court to Clarify If Pankaj Bansal Grounds‑of‑Arrest Rule Applies Retrospectively

The Supreme Court will examine whether its ruling in Pankaj Bansal v. Union of India, which mandates that the Enforcement Directorate provide written grounds of arrest, applies to arrests made before October 3, 2023. 

This arises from an appeal by Karnataka State against the Karnataka High Court ruling that even arrests under the IPC made before this date can be challenged for non-supply of written arrest grounds.

The State of Karnataka has contested this view, relying on Ram Kishor Arora v. ED, where the apex court held that the Bansal ruling applies only prospectively.

The respondent was arrested in March 2023 under IPC Sections 302 and 201 and the matter will be heard next on June 26.