Jethmalani targets Modi govt in Supreme Court

Ram Jethmalani, who had filed a public interest litigation in 2009 on the black money issue, told a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu on Tuesday that the government is not interested in getting the estimated Rs 70 lakh crore from tax havens.

In his hour-long arguments, Jethmalani, a Rajya Sabha member and noted criminal lawyer, alleged Anita Kapur, chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes, also a member of the Special Investigative Team (SIT) set up by the court, was suppressing relevant documents such as correspondence between Germany and India. Jethmalani called for interrogation of Kapur.

He said India has signed the United Nations Convention against Corruption, but not ratified it. According to him, this is understandable because everyone at the top wants to prevent the disclosure of names and return of the ill-gotten money. "They are harping on the double taxation avoidance treaty, which is not the instrument that would yield results," he said.

Notably, he made a frontal attack on Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah who told the media on February 5 that the promise to bring back money made during Narendra Modi's election campaign last year was only chunavi jumla (electoral statement).

When Jethmalani complained he was not getting any information from the authorities, the Chief Justice suggested he approach SIT. Jethmalani said SIT was mostly "loaded with people who are loyal to the government and not the nation", and non-cooperation was their deliberate strategy. Subramanian Swamy, too, has also moved an application giving suggestions to the authorities to solve the gridlock over black money.

The court asked the government to reply to both Jethmalani and Swamy within four weeks.