Lucknow, Jul 20 The Allahabad High Court on Monday conducted a two-hour-long hearing in the chamber on a plea seeking a CBI and ED inquiry into allegations of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accumulating disproportionate assets.
The order of the Lucknow bench was not available on the Allahabad High Court's website till the filing of the story.
However, on the website, the case is shown to be next listed on August 20.
A division bench of Justice R S Chauhan and Justice B R Singh passed the order on a criminal writ petition moved by a Karnataka BJP worker S Vignesh Shishir.
The petitioner has levelled serious allegations against Gandhi about accumulating disproportionate assets and has sought an inquiry into the issue.
In its last order, the bench had observed, "It is expected that if the complaint of the petitioner, Shishir, has been received, the allegations of the complaint may be verified as per law. It is needless to say that the CBI or ED may take appropriate steps which are permissible under the law."
Besides the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the bench had also directed the central government's Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Director of Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to file their responses to the allegations levelled by the petitioner against Gandhi within eight weeks.
The bench had conducted an in-chamber hearing in the case on a previous hearing on May 12 and its order was available on the high court's website on May 14.
The order had stated that the CBI informed the bench that the agency had received the petitioner's complaint and would file its response within eight weeks.
Similarly, the ED had also informed the bench that it had received the complaint and it might verify the allegations and thereafter, the progress in it might be apprised to the court on July 20.
While seeking replies from several government agencies, the bench had said, "By filing response in the shape of counter affidavit, the progress in respect of complaint submitted by the petitioner to the aforesaid agencies may be apprised to the Court."
To a query whether the petition was maintainable, the bench had said that this submission would be tested after receiving the counter-affidavits of the respective parties and the rejoinder affidavits thereof.
Furthermore, the court had ordered its senior registrar that the paper-book and the loose documents provided by the petitioner be kept in a sealed cover and opened on July 20.
