JOIN USThe Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated that it may clarify its order quashing the disproportionate assets case against former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati saying its verdict was not a bar on the CBI to conduct fresh investigation after taking sanction.
A bench of Justices P Sathasivam and Dipak Misra issued notice to the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo, the Centre and the CBI on the limited issue whether it should clarify its July 6 judgment.
The apex court had then provided a major relief to Mayawati in the case by quashing the FIR registered against her by the CBI nine years ago.
It had pulled up the CBI for exceeding its jurisdiction and said that there was no occasion for it to register the FIR on October 5, 2003, after an order issued by the apex court while hearing the Taj Heritage Corridor project case involving release of Rs 17 crore allegedly without sanction.
On a review petition filed by intervenor Kamlesh Verma, the court said our ultimate direction was to investigate the assets of Mayawati and other officers with regard to Rs 17 crore only.
“We never said that the CBI has no power to investigate but it has to take sanction from state government,” the bench said, adding, they did not find after surveying records that the court directed for investigation of the case against Mayawati.
Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, appearing for Verma, contended it was the duty of the court to allow the investigation as the government would not grant any sanction for it.
“Is it your case that this court is protecting her? No, it is not so,” the bench said.