SC's no to petition on pay-offs to VIPs including Narendra Modi

Bench observed that the material placed before it was 'zero'

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain, for now, a plea seeking a Special Investigation Team probe into allegations of payoffs to influential public functionaries including then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying the material placed before it was "zero".

Telling the petitioner NGO Common Cause that there has to be something prima facie to order an investigation, the bench of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice Arun Mishra told senior counsel Shanti Bhushan that the material being relied on was "zero".

"This is zero. Noting. It is an insinuation," the bench observed as it adjourned the hearing till December 14 after asking Bhushan to come back with "with better material".

As the bench asked Bhushan either to come back with better material or withdraw the petition, senior counsel Ram Jethmalani said he would return with a conclusive material.