The Supreme Court on Friday (October 17) granted interim relief to Bihar-based contractor Rishu Shree by staying his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while declining to entertain the writ petition filed by Rishu Shree against the ED. The Court directed the petitioner to seek relief before the High Court and stayed all coercive actions by the ED until November 10.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Shree, submitted that the writ petition challenged certain provisions of the PMLA.

The ED has alleged that Rishu Shree, whose firms operate as contractors and subcontractors in multiple Bihar Government departments—including Water Resources, Health, Public Health Engineering, Urban Development, Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO), Education, Building & Construction, and Rural Works—maintained connections with government officials to secure tenders for illegal personal benefits.

Earlier, in June this year, the ED conducted searches at nine locations across Bihar linked to Rishu Shree and claimed to have seized various incriminating documents during the operation.

Case Reference: Rishu Shree vs Union of India | W.P.(Crl.) No. 411/2025