The Hindu : New Delhi News : Supreme Court rejects plea against Chauhan’s wife

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Saturday, Nov 03, 2007
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New Delhi

Supreme Court rejects plea against Chauhan’s wife

J. Venkatesan

“Petitioner can seek appropriate relief from High Court”

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed as withdrawn a writ petition filed by the Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly for a CBI enquiry into charges against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s wife. She had been accused of amassing assets disproportionate to her known means.

A Bench of Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justice R.V. Raveendran told the petitioner’s counsel, Vivek Tankha, that such a petition could not be entertained by the apex court as none of the rights of the petitioner had been affected. The Bench while permitting withdrawal of the petition said the petitioner could seek appropriate relief from the High Court.

Petitioner Jamuna Devi said that she filed a complaint with the State Lokayukta seeking a probe into alleged purchase of some heavy vehicles by Mr. Chauhan’s wife as well as into allegations of undue favours shown by the Chief Minister to a private company. Subsequently four BJP MLAs filed complaints against the Lokayukta, and, acting on these complaints, the Speaker of the Assembly issued a breach of privilege notice to the Lokayuktha.

In her petition, Ms. Jamuna Devi submitted that the Chief Minister had shown utter disregard for the authority and majesty of the legal system in the State by browbeating the local administration into succumbing to his whims and fancies. She said an enquiry should not be shut out at the threshold merely because a political opponent had raised allegations of commission of an offence.

She said it was obvious that a free and fair enquiry could not be conducted at the state level by the local enforcement agencies and the same ought to be conducted by an impartial agency like the CBI or by the Lokayukta under the aegis of the Supreme Court so that the agency was not influenced by external pressure brought upon by the Chief Minister and the Speaker.

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