Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money to submit a status report of its investigation in the money laundering case by May 12.
According to report, a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and justices Madan B Lokur and A K Sikri said that it has not received any new report and asked senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, appearing for SIT, to "request" the probe team to submit a fresh status report on or before May 12 so that "we can have a look at it before the summer vacation".
The apex court had on January 20 asked SIT to consider suggestions of senior advocate Ram Jethmalani who had filed a PIL in 2009 on the black money issue, on the way forward to bring the illegal money stashed in banks abroad.
The court had also said that the SIT, after considering the suggestions in accordance with law, would be sending "a copy of its report to that effect" in a sealed cover to the apex court.
During the hearing today, the bench said that it will go through the report first and then decide as to whether it can be given to Jethmalani and asked him to wait till that time.
Jethmalani, who is being represented by senior advocate Anil Divan, said, "there is a determined effort to frustrate the judgement (on black money)."
The bench also agreed with the concerns of Jethmalani on the issue and said, "we are with you on that".
Earlier, Centre had said that it has submitted all documents and communications to the SIT which has to take a call for supplying them to the petitioners.
The SIT is likely to submit more names in the black money case, as per report.
The agency had in December of last year said it was gathering more names other than the over 600 account holders in HSBC Bank, Geneva, given by the government to Supreme Court in November, for investigation.
Earlier in October, the government had submitted before the Supreme Court the names of 627 Indians who have accounts in overseas banks. However, it was stated that all these 627 Indians may not have black money stashed abroad as some of these individuals' accounts may be legitimate.
Then, the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu had refused to open the sealed envelope saying that the documents be placed before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by it.
Only SIT chairman and vice chairman can open the sealed envelope containing names of account holders, the court had stated.
The SC also directed the SIT to evolve its own procedure on the kind of probe needed into these accounts and also to evolve the process on how to get the black money back.
The SIT had submitted its first report in August 2014.
Notified by the Supreme Court in May to investigate the black money scandal, the members of the SIT include Revenue Secretary, Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Directors of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
With PTI Inputs
