Govt seeks review of apex court order on black money

Our Bureau Updated - March 08, 2018 at 07:45 PM.

The Centre has sought a review and recall of a recent Supreme Court order relating to the black money issue, sources said.

Earlier this month, the apex court had ordered the Government to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe cases involving unaccounted income.

In the order, the Court had directed the Centre to disclose the names of those persons to whom showcause notices had been issued or proceedings initiated with regard to their unaccounted incomes.

This, the apex court had told the Centre, must be done as soon as the SIT concludes its investigation.

In its petition before the Supreme Court on Friday, the Centre sought a proper hearing in the matter and modification of the latter's earlier order, the sources said.

The apex court had earlier pulled up the Government and its investigating agencies for the “laggardly pace” at which the probe into black money cases, including the one against businessman Mr Hassan Ali Khan, was progressing. In the order, the Supreme Court said the huge amount of unaccounted wealth stashed abroad revealed the degree of “softness of the State.” The order was in response to a petition filed by several eminent persons, including senior advocate Mr Ram Jethmalani.

The apex court had directed that the Centre's High Level Committee, which was looking into black money issues, be turned into an SIT, and that the probe team be headed by a former Supreme Court judge, Mr Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy, which would in turn file periodic status reports before the apex court.

In its petition, the Government has denied that its approach was “laggardly”, the sources said. Since a Government panel was already looking into the issue of black money, the Centre was likely to argue that the apex court order amounted to judicial overreach into the executive's domain, and that the separation of powers mandated under the Constitution should be respected, the sources said.

Published on July 15, 2011 16:53