HC refuses to quash ED's summon to Natwar Singh

New Delhi, Mar 16 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today refused to quash the summon of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) served on former Union External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh for his appearance on Monday for questioning in the Oil-for-food scam.

Justice B D Ahmed said the court would not stall the proceedings of the ED at this stage.

The Court, however, issued notices to the government and ED to file their replies to the allegations by April 4, the next date of hearing.

Counsel Arvind Nigam appearing for Singh contended that the Justice R S Pathak Authority, constituted by the Central Government, had given clean chit to Singh. ''Singh is not a contractual beneficiary,'' he added.

Nigam said the Pathak Authority had established that there was no material derived that could construe that Singh had any financial benefits from the deal.

Singh in the petition alleged that the ED was harassing him by summoning for questioning in the Oil-for-food scam without providing relevant documents.

Opposing the prayers in the petition, Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra appearing for the ED submitted that Singh had been summoned for questioning as there was some prima facie evidence against him.

Jagat Singh, the son of Natwar Singh, his business associate Andaleep Sehgal, his father Suman Sehgal, businessman Vijay Dhar, his son Vikas Dhar, Youth Congress leader Jameel Zaidi and Asad Khan were allegedly involved in the 'cash-for-oil scam' during the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq.

UNI