Jethmalani moves SC over non-disclosure of black money holders

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani on Friday approached the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre to implement the 2011 order relating to disclosure of the names of those who had stashed their black money in foreign banks.

A three-judge bench presided over by Justice H L Dattu fixed the interlocutory application filed by the noted jurist for consideration on February 19, saying that the matter required detailed hearing.

Senior advocate Anil Divan, representing Jethmalani, submitted that the PIL in the matter was filed in 2006. Despite the court’s order, the names of persons in the list handed over by Liechtenstein bank of Germany had not been revealed.

He claimed that the black money stashed by Indians has grown to Rs 70 lakh crore, a figure, which was described by Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran as “wrong”. Divan sought urgent and early hearing in the matter, saying the petitioner was an old man of 90 years, upon which the courtroom burst into laughter.

The bench also could not stop from making a remark. “See his (Jethmalani’s) voice, can you really say he is an old man,” the bench said. Divan, however, retorted, “But that cannot stop us from seeking early hearing.”

He further said that the Centre had not taken any step to implement the order of the apex court passed on July 4, 2011. 

The Centre had sought modification of the apex court’s order passed by a bench of Justices B Sudershan Reddy (since retired) and S S Nijjar, setting up the Special Investigation Team with former SC judges Justices B P Jeevan Reddy and M B Shah as chairman and vice-chairman respectively.