Mumbai: Coming down heavily on the
Enforcement Directorate for "serious lapse" and failure on its
part to initiate probe against members of scam-tainted Adarsh
Society for money laundering, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday
summoned the Director of the investigating agency to appear
before it on March 12.
"It is unfortunate that ED has remained a mute spectator.
There is a serious lapse on the agency`s part for not probing
into money laundering offence. ED has not moved an inch. It
reflects a sorry state of affairs," a division bench of
justices PB Majmudar and RD Dhanuka said.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by
social activists Simpreet Singh and Pravin Wategaonkar seeking
the court`s intervention to supervise the probe and ED to
initiate inquiry into money laundering offences.
The court was irked when it was informed by ED lawyer
that it had not begun its probe as CBI was investigating the
matter. "Why are you depending on the CBI? You are a separate
agency and can conduct probe independently," Majmudar said.
Directing the ED Director to remain personally present
before the court on March 12, the court said the agency should
inform it what steps are contemplated and in what matter. "We
are summoning the director as there has been no assistance
from his department to the court," Justice Majmudar said.
The bench also raised concerns over the tardy probe by
CBI which has been investigating the case since January last
year. "Why have you not finished the investigation till now?
It is a matter where many big names are concerned. You (CBI)
must be careful but at the same time you cannot let people
question your credibility," the court said.
Asking CBI to file a status report on what progress has
been in the probe on the next date of hearing, the court said,
"If we are satisfied with the status report we will grant you
more time to investigate. If it seems that you are inactive
then a special team would have to be formed to probe the
matter."
PTI
