Left Seeks Special Leave Petition In Hawala Case

The Left parties yesterday demanded that the government give immediate clearance to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court in the multi-crore Jain hawala scandal.

The CPI-M said nearly two months had passed since the Delhi High Court quashed proceedings against BJP leader L K Advani and Congress leader V C Shukla, but the government had not yet given a go-ahead to the CBI to go in appeal to the apex court. Raising the same demand, CPI national council member D Raja said the party had raised the issue in the last steering committee meeting of the United Front.

In a statement here, the CPI-M politburo alleged that some powerful pressures were working to see that the case was given a decent burial.

It said though the CBI had decided to appeal against the order, six weeks had passed since the matter was referred to the government. There has been a widespread public concern that the biggest corruption scandal in independent India will escape the judicial process and prosecution of the guilty due to this (High Court) judgement, it said.

The delay caused by the governments inaction is inexplicable and serious doubts arise about powerful pressures working to see that the case is given a decent burial. The government owes an explanation to the people, the politburo said.