SC asks Centre to file status report

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre to file a status report on the investigation conducted by Enforcement Directorate officer Rajeshwar Singh in the Aircel-maxis deal case.

The apex court said the Centre should apprise it about the stage of the pending investigation in the case and what needed to be done. “Let a status report be filed by the Centre before us with respect to the further probe that has been made. List the matter, as prayed, on January 23,” a bench of justices Arun Mishra and MM Shantanagoudar said.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said he would be filing a summary with regard to what has happened till now in the case and sought 10 days. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said anonymous complaints were made against Rajeshwar Singh, who was an honest officer. He added that earlier also court had protected the officer probing the Aircel-maxis deal case and this time also he needed to be protected.

The bench said it would look into the matter once the Centre filed the reply. On December 15, last year, the top court had asked the CBI, the ED and the special public prosecutor appointed by it in the 2G spectrum scam case to file a status report.

On November 1, the SC had restrained the government from taking any immediate action against Rajeshwar Singh, probing the deal case and the 2G spectrum scam, following some anonymous complaints against him.

The court’s direction had came after Singh alleged there was a “conspiracy” behind filing of “frivolous anonymous complaints” against him with the revenue secretary saying these were being entertained by the ED.

He had said such complaints were filed after the attachment of assets worth ₹1.16 crore allegedly of the accused in the Aircel-maxis case.

The court had issued notice to the CBI, the ED and the department of telecom and sought their response.

Singh had told the court that it should direct a CBI probe into the alleged conspiracy of filing of complaints or relieve him from the investigation into the 2G scam case.

He had said earlier too, several attempts were made to interfere with the 2G scam probe but the court had always protected him. Singh had said that he was an Uttar Pradesh-cadre police officer on deputation to the ED and his promotion in the service was due, which could be hampered due to such complaints.

ADDITIONAL SOLICITOR GENERAL, APPEARING FOR THE CBI, SAID HE WOULD FILE A SUMMARY WITH REGARD TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED TILL NOW IN THE CASE AND SOUGHT 10 DAYS