SC notice to Centre and CBI in oil for food scam

New Delhi, Aug 18 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre and the CBI on a petition filed by a NRI, who is a relative of former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, seeking release of his passport which has been impounded by the authorities for his alleged involvement in oil for food scam involving Iraq.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, and Justices H S Kapadia and C K Thakker granted two weeks time to the government to file an affidavit giving details of the ongoing investigations in the scandal which has recently rocked the nation.

The court also directed two weeks time to the petitioner Vipin Khanna, father of another accused Aditya Khanna, to file his rejoinder there after.

The court directed that any further order asked in the case by the authorities would be subjected to the outcome of the present writ petition.

Earlier, Senior Council F S Nariman appearing for the petitioner contended that the passport of his client had been illegally impounded and his client would lose his NRI status if his passport was not immediatly released.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanaium who was present in the court accepted the notice on behalf of the government and contended that the passport had been legally impounded and cannot be released. He saught time from the court to place on record all the details of the case against the petitioner by way of an affidavit.

It may be noted here that Natwar Singh was suspended from the primary membership of Congress party following his outburst against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and R S Pathak Commission Report.

Natwar Singh was removed as Extrnal Affairsminister after he, his son, Jagat Sigh and a relative, Andaleep Sehgal appeared in Volcker report as beneficiary of oil for food scandal during Saddam Hussain regime in Iraq in 2001.

Pathak Commisssion had given clean chit to the Congress party but found Natwar Singh, Jagat Singh and others guilty in the scam. The report ,however, made it clear that Natwar Singh and Jagat Singh were not the financial beneficiary in the scam.

It may be noted here that several crores of rupees were allegedly deposited in the account of M/s Hamdaan, a company owned by Andaleep Sehgal.

Pathak commission has indicted Natwar Singh on the basis of letters written by him to the then Iraqi oil minister as well as to Saddam Hussain expresssing his deep sense of gratitude for the Iraqi leaders for extending help and cooperation to his son Jagat Singh and Sehgal dring their visit to Iraq.

The court directed that the matter shall be listed for hearing in the third week of September.

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