U ntil last week, I remembered Justice (retd) AM Khanwilkar as the author of one of the worst judgments in judicial history when it comes to fundamental right to life and personal liberty. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of many draconian provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), including the Enforcement Directorate ’s virtually arbitrary powers to carry out arrest, search, and seizure, reversed burden of proof on the accused, self-incriminating statements, etc. ‘Guilty until proven innocent’ became the new maxim of law after that division bench ruling authored by Justice Khanwilkar. In my very limited understanding of law, in terms of right to personal liberty, it was the second – worst judgment after the 1976 ADM Jabalpur case verdict

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