In a relief to the embattled family of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an application seeking the apex court to seek the status and further monitor a CBI investigation into his alleged disproportionate assets and that of his sons, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Prateek Yadav.
The application filed by Vishwanath Chaturvedi, whose PIL led to the Supreme Court ordering CBI investigation into their assets, also sought the Supreme Court to pronounce its judgment on his plea for a copy of the Regular Case (FIR) lodged against the three Yadavs. Mr. Chaturvedi contended that the apex court had reserved the judgment on his plea way back in 2009.
A Bench led by Justice Ranjan Gogoi declined to entertain the application, saying that the apex court had already answered the issues raised by Mr. Chaturvedi in a 2012 judgment on the family's wealth case.
The Bench said the 2012 judgment gave the CBI complete freedom to go about the inquiry into allegations of disproportionate wealth and “take what steps it wishes to take on the basis of the inquiry conducted.”
The 2012 judgment had modified a March 1, 2007 order of the Supreme Court which made it obligatory for the CBI to submit a report of its preliminary inquiry to the Centre.
Modifying this bit, a Bench of then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir and Justice (then) H.L. Dattu had relieved the CBI of this liability while observing that the premier investigating agency was “an independent body and is under no obligation to report to the Union of India in regard to investigations undertaken by it.”
The 2012 judgment also saw the apex court further modify its 2007 order to exempt Mr. Mulayam's daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav from the inquiry as she had not held any public posts during the period under scanner.
In his present application, Mr. Chaturvedi had alleged that “nothing has been done till date by the CBI and whatever has been done is a mere facilitation to the accused herein under the instructions of its political master now in office, i.e., the present central government.”
He had claimed that there was no response from the Centre to representations made by India Rejuvenation Initiative (IRI), led by former Chief Justice of India Justice R.C. Lahoti, for appropriate action.
“It appears that agency (CBI) is planning to give clean chit to these accused persons however the mere photographs of their few assets and its corresponding price be spoken much louder than that of value shown by the accused persons which conveniently to be believed by CBI at the behest of central government in lieu of their political equation,” Mr. Chaturvedi submitted.
He had contended there was no other alternative except to file the present application as he apprehended that the present government would also sweep the case under the carpet in return for “political support” from the Yadav family, whom he described as the “political giants of Uttar Pradesh.”
