New Delhi : In a relief to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Allahabad High Court not to proceed with a case alleging that he possessed disproportionate assets. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to Karnataka resident S Vignesh Shishir, who filed the plea before the high court, as well as the CBI and ED.
The bench directed the high court to defer its next hearing until the Supreme Court takes up the matter. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Gandhi, strongly challenged the proceedings, calling them a “witch-hunt process” and questioning Shishir’s locus to approach the high court. He also alleged that the petitioner had not disclosed his credentials.
He also questioned the CBI’s role, saying the agency had so far only verified the complaint, and argued that even if the allegations were factually correct, the manner in which the proceedings were being pursued raised serious concerns. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the central probe agencies, said the CBI and ED had not played any role in the proceedings so far. He submitted that if the complaint disclosed cognisable offences, the allegations would be serious.
“If the court wants to issue a direction, it is expected to follow the principle of natural justice,” he said. Shishir, who appeared virtually, opposed Gandhi’s plea and argued that the proceedings were at a pre-FIR stage, where the accused had no right to be heard. Justice Bagchi questioned why the probe agencies had not acted on their own if they considered the allegations serious.
Read Also : Jharkhand Exam Row: Rahul Gandhi Steps In As Student Protest Enters 24th Day