ED withdraws summons to senior advocate over legal advice in Care Health Rs 250 crore ESOP case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has withdrawn its summons issued to Senior Advocate Arvind Datar regarding the investigation into the Employee Stock Options (ESOPs) granted by Care Health Insurance to Rashmi Saluja, the former chairperson of Religare Enterprises. The ED had initially requested Datar's appearance due to a legal opinion he provided supporting the ESOP grant, which is currently under scrutiny. However, the agency has now communicated that his presence is no longer required.

Reports indicate that Datar argued lawyers cannot be compelled to testify about matters involving the legal advice they give to their clients. He cited professional privilege, asserting that such disclosures are prohibited. This development comes amid the ongoing investigation into the controversial ESOP granted by Care Health Insurance to Dr. Rashmi Saluja, the former chairperson of Religare Enterprises Limited (REL). As the investigation progresses, it intensifies further into the regulatory measures and asset freezes implemented earlier. ​