Holding that there was prima facie case, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Sahara group chief Subrata Roy for initiating contempt proceedings against him for allegedly interfering with the investigation in the 2G spectrum case. The apex court also issued notices to two journalists, Upendra Rai and Subodh Jain, for allegedly threatening and blackmailing Enforcement Directorate’s Investigating Officer Rajeshwar Singh, who is probing the case.
A bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly sought response to the contempt notices within six weeks.
“Having gone through the records we are prima facie of the view that an attempt has been made to interfere with the investigation conducted by Rajeshwar Singh in what has been described as 2G spectrum scam case and related matters.
Therefore, we take suo motu cognisance and issue notices to them,” the Bench said.
The bench also banned Sahara India news network and its sister concerns from publishing and broadcasting any story or programme relating to Mr. Rajeshwar Singh in response to 25 questions sent by Subodh Jain to ED official.
Mr. Jain had sent 25 questions to Mr. Singh seeking his reply to them which were personal in nature.
The court observed that this was an attempt to blackmail Mr. Singh as it was done after Sahara India chief was served with summons by the ED to appear before it in connection with the investigation into the 2G scam.
The summons were issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Earlier, the ED had moved the court seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Mr. Roy for allegedly interfering in the investigation into the 2G spectrum scam.
The petition filed by Mr. Singh alleged that the notice was served to Mr. Roy to appear before it relating to a Rs. 150 crore transaction suspected to be linked to the 2G spectrum scam.
The petition mentioned before the Bench alleged that Mr. Roy did not appear before the ED and tried to blackmail its investigating officer.
The petition had also named the two journalists of Sahara Samay.
Hope this will free the income tax department in Lucknow/Kanpur and elsewhere to proceed with its cases without the fear of being charged of harassment for issuing notices of hearing, summonses for personal apparance even of the lower menials and recovery of tax and also will not be called to submit reports on the full page ads published to intimidate the “petty” officers of the IRS. They have suffered for years without being able to make any investigations or progress in the ongoing work. I hope, the income tax department also considers impleading itself in this case to bring to the notice of their Lordships as to how all their efforts at unearthing the truth have been successfully and ceaselessly thwarted without any deliverance. It would also be necessary to seek the indulgence of the apex court to plead that the appeals of this group in the UP Benches of the ITAT be also monitored in the interest of fair play and justice.