HC rejects Centre's plea to stay reinstatement of 2G probe IO

The Delhi High Court today rejected the Centre's plea to stay Central Administrative Tribunal's order reinstating Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer Rajeshwar Singh probing the money trail in 2G spectrum scam.
The High Court, in its interim order, declined to interfere with the order of CAT which has allowed the plea of Singh against the controversial move of the Finance Ministry to ease him out of ED during the pendency of the Supreme Court-monitored probe into the 2G scam.
A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice R S Endlaw dismissed the Centre's interim application seeking a stay of CAT's December 2013 order by which Singh, Deputy Director in ED, was reinstated.

The court, however, agreed to hear the government's plea.
Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Rajeeve Mehra said his repatriation was a policy decision.
The Centre's move was opposed by Singh's lawyer, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who said there are 135 vacancies in ED and his client's name had been recommended in 2012 by UPSC for permanent absorption in the agency.

Rohatgi also said Singh was the topper in the UPSC list.
He said Singh is Chief Investigative Officer probing various major scams, including 2G money trail and Aircel-Maxis scam.
Singh had joined ED on deputation in 2007.
When his deputation ended in October 2013, the Director of ED had recommended one-year extension of service to Singh, citing the ongoing 2G cases and the Supreme Court order not to transfer the investigating officers.

After the Finance Ministry rejected this also, the officer proceeded on leave and approached CAT.
The government had also approached the apex court last year for repatriating him to the UP police and the court is yet to decide the matter.
In 2012, the apex court had quashed all the complaints against Singh.