The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim relief to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in a case involving allegations of disproportionate assets. The apex court issued notice on his plea challenging an Allahabad High Court order that directed the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to verify the allegations.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also directed the two agencies not to submit any report in the matter for now. The Allahabad High Court has been asked to defer further proceedings until further orders.
SC questions probe ordered by high court
The Supreme Court said it wanted to examine the circumstances in which investigative agencies were directed to act in the matter.
During the hearing, the bench stressed the importance of natural justice and fairness in judicial proceedings. When the CBI objected to the Supreme Court examining the issue, the bench questioned whether the agency had initiated the process independently or had acted on the High Court's directions.
“If you didn’t start this suo motu, let us examine," the bench observed.
The court indicated that it could examine the circumstances surrounding the directions if the investigative process had begun because of an order passed by the High Court.
What is the disproportionate assets case?
The proceedings originated from a petition filed before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court by Karnataka-based BJP worker S Vignesh Shishir.
The petitioner had sought an investigation into allegations that Gandhi held assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
On July 20, the Allahabad High Court directed the CBI to verify the allegations. It also allowed the ED to take appropriate action if the inquiry uncovered evidence of any illegality.
The High Court had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the CBI's response and asked a senior officer to submit a fresh affidavit detailing the progress of the inquiry.
Rahul Gandhi challenges HC directions
Gandhi subsequently moved the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court's orders and questioning the manner in which the proceedings had been conducted.
He also sought the transfer of the case to another court, citing concerns over fairness and the need to preserve confidence in the judicial process.
With the Supreme Court now staying further proceedings before the Allahabad High Court and restraining the CBI and ED from submitting any report for the time being, the matter will next be examined by the apex court.