The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today told the Delhi High Court that the agency was opposed to providing Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh a copy of the money laundering case lodged against him.
Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, however, sought time from the court to get back on whether Singh can be denied a copy of the case after Justice Ashutosh Kumar questioned whether someone can be divested of their legal right to have the documents.
The judge also said if the documents sought are not given to Singh, the same can not be used against him during trial.
The court also asked about the reasons for ED's refusal to give the documents and said the agency will have to convince it about it.
CBI, represented by Additional Solicitor General P S Patwalia, told the court that it will provide a xerox copy of the documents seized from Singh's office and residence. He said that 40 per cent of the photocopying work is over.
The agency, however, told the high court that it had kept the documents with it on the direction of the trial court and, if Singh required a copy, he should have approached the trial court.
The high court, thereafter, adjourned the matter to January 7, saying it will pass orders on that date on the plea of Singh.
ED has filed a case against Singh under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Singh, in his plea, has also sought a direction to CBI to provide him all the documents seized by the agency when it had raided his residence and office.
On September 26 this year, CBI had conducted raids at 11 places including Singh's residences in Delhi and Himachal, on the day his daughter was getting married.
He has also prayed that ED be restrained from taking any action against him for "non-compliance" of summons issued to him on November 16 in connection with the money laundering case.
On December 2, the high court had sought CBI's reply to
Singh's plea seeking quashing of FIR lodged against him in a disproportionate assets case.
On November 5, the Supreme Court had transferred the plea of Singh from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case but "simply" transferring the petition "in the interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment".
CBI had moved the apex court seeking transfer of the case from the Himachal Pradesh HC and setting aside of the interim order granting him protection from arrest and other relief.
The chief minister had filed a petition in the Himachal Pradesh HC pleading that the searches at his private residence and other premises were conducted with "malafide intentions and political vendetta" by the central investigating agency.
Singh had sought directions from the high court to quash the FIR registered against him and his wife under Sections 13 (2) and 13(1) (e) of Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 109 of IPC by CBI on September 23 in Delhi.
