ED comes out in support of its officer Rajeshwar Singh

The Enforcement Directorate today said the call from Dubai received by its Joint Director Rajeshwar Singh for which an intelligence agency generated a report was pertaining to an ongoing investigation.

The secret report was submitted in the Supreme Court by the Centre today regarding Singh, who is investigating the Aircel Maxis and 2G spectrum cases.

After the Supreme Court diluted immunity to Singh from any investigation against him, the Enforcement Directorate and BJP MP Subramanian Swamy came out in strong defence of the officer.

A letter written by Singh, an erstwhile UP Police officer, to Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia in which serious questions have been raised against the senior IAS officer also became public in social media through informal channels.

In its statement, the Directorate said, To put the record straight Dr Rajeshwar Singh received a call in 2016 from a person based out of Dubai who gave important information regarding a case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.

Dr Rajeshwar Singh passed on this information to the Directorate and the same was used in the investigation of the case. It is important to note that he received only one call and that too it was an incoming call from this person in Dubai, the agency said.

It said Singh is a responsible officer with outstanding career records.

A report related to the matter was generated by an intelligence agency about this call which was duly clarified by the Directorate that the phone call was related to an ongoing investigation. The matter was laid to rest, it said.

During the arguments in Supreme Court today, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Vikramjit Banerjee, appearing for the Centre, said the government was willing to probe the charges that Singh had amassed disproportionate assets, as he handed over a communication in a sealed cover to the bench.

After going through the report submitted in sealed cover by the central government, the vacation bench of the Supreme Court today said, "It is highly sensitive. Issues of nation's security are involved. These are serious issues. We cannot shut our eyes to it."