SC declines to issue notice on Akhilesh's petition

New Delhi, Mar 23: The Supreme Court today declined to issue notice on a petition filed by Akhilesh Yadav, seeking review of the apex court order dated March 1, directing preliminary inquiry by CBI against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family members in the disproportionate assets case.

A bench comprising Justices C K Thakker and Altamas Kabir adjourned the hearing till Monday and directed that the court will hear the petitioner on that day and decide whether to issue notice or not.

Counsel for original petitioner Vishwanath Chaturvedi did not appear today as no notice has been issued on the review petition by the court.

D K Garg, counsel for Chaturvedi declined to accept the advance service and said he would appear only if the notice was issued by the court .

It may be noted here that earlier Justice A R Lakshmanan who retired yesterday, had withdrawn from the bench hearing the case after he received an anonymous letter through fax in the morning when the case was listed for hearing.

Describing the contents of the letter as heinous, the judge had broken down in the open court.

Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, his MP son Akhilesh Yadav, his daughter- in-law Dimple Yadav and his younger son Prateek Yadav are facing allegations of acquiring huge assets running in over Rs 100 crore through corrupt means, by misusing his official status as state chief minister.

The court had directed CBI to conduct preliminary inquiry to ascertain whether prima facie case was made out against the Yadavs or not and had directed the investigating agency to submit report to the centre which is to decide the future course of action in the matter.

It is also unusual that a review petition is being heard in an open court. Usually the review petitions are disposed of by circulation among judges in their chambers.

The petitioner has also sought stay of the investigation till the forthcoming assembly elections in the state are over and, expressing total lack of faith in CBI, also prayed for inquiry by either a retired supreme court or high court judge.

UNI

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