SC to hear Natwar Singh petition on May 5

{image-natwar singh_04052008.jpg news.oneindia.in}New Delhi, May 4: The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow the petitions filed by former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and his son Jagat Singh in oil-for-food scam which was exposed by the Volcker Committee Report.

A bench comprising Justices B N Agrawal and G S Singhvi would hear the two petitions challenging the Delhi High Court order refusing to interfere with the investigation being carried out by the Directorate of Enforcement. Mr Singh had to quit the Union Cabinet and his son Jagat Singh, a Congress MLA from Rajasthan, was also expelled from the party after the scandal came to light in 2006. The scandal allegedly took place in 2001 when the then Iraq President Saddam Hussein, who was reportedly very close to Mr Singh, sold the crude oil to India and around Rs 2 crore were deposited in the accounts of the companies controlled by one Sehgal, a close relative of Mr Singh.

The petitioners had challenged the on-going investigation by the enforcement on the grounds that no show cause notice was ever issued to them and therefore the investigation should be stayed till the final disposal of their petitions.

UNI