New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday pulled up the Income Tax (I-T) department for filing a sketchy report on investigations into the 2G scam. The court will also consider appointing a committee to monitor the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe in the case.
Justice G.S. Singvi and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly asked the director general, income tax, to file a comprehensive report giving full details of the probe conducted by it so far into the role of people in the scam, in particular from the time it got the Niira Radia tapes in October.
The court also said it would consider senior counsel Prashant Bhushan's suggestion for the appointment of a group of eminent persons to assist the court in monitoring investigation into the scam by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Senior counsel K.K. Venugopal, appearing for CBI, opposed the appointment of a monitoring committee at this stage, saying it would mean expressing lack of confidence in investigation by the CBI so far.
He said officers of the CBI and ED would proceed to Mauritius with letters rogatory to track the money trail in the 2G scam.
He said the court can wait till July when a further status report would be filed by the CBI and ED on their return from Mauritius.
However, the court said it will hold further hearing May 13 on the plea by Prashant Bhushan seeking appointment of a monitoring committee.
The scam relates to irregularities in the allocation of airwaves to telecom firms that allegedly caused huge losses to the national exchequer. Several corporate bigwigs besides former communications minister A. Raja are in jail because of the scam.
IANS
First Published: Thursday, May 05, 2011, 14:30