Supreme Court reserves verdict on prosecuting Mayawati

The Supreme Court Monday reserved verdict on whether or not to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a charge sheet against former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati for alleged irregularities in the Taj Mahal heritage project.

A bench comprising judges S.B. Sinha, S.H. Kapadia and D.K. Jain reserved verdict at the conclusion of arguments. Meanwhile, it asked the CBI to file in two weeks a status report on the disproportionate assets case registered against Mayawati.

Based on the opinion given by Attorney General Milon K. Banerjee, the CBI director had taken a decision not to proceed against Mayawati in the Rs. 1.75 billion Taj scam.

However, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which was asked to scrutinise the entire materials of the CBI pertaining to the investigation, recommended her prosecution in its report.

Mayawati contended that the court should not act on the CVC's report as she would be seriously prejudiced if the recommendations were acted upon. She contended that the CVC Act would have no application to public servants employed in connection with the affairs of the state.

She said that once the CBI director had taken a decision to drop the case, no outside force could recommended that the case should be continued.

The Uttar Pradesh government contended that the CBI should be allowed to file the charge sheet or, alternatively, all materials connected with the case should be placed before the magistrate concerned who would decide whether charge sheet should be filed or not.

Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati submitted that no closure report had been filed in the case and it would be open to the court to pass any appropriate orders.

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