The Bombay High Court on Wednesday held as "illegal" the arrest of Anil Pawar, former chief of the Vasai-Virar civic body in Maharashtra's Palghar, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, and ordered his release, reported news agency PTI.

A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad said the ED did not have "tangible material" at the time of his arrest.