SC reserves judgement on Taj corridor case

New Delhi, Sep 17: The Supreme Court today reserved its judgement on an application filed by the amicus curiae in the Taj Corridor case challenging the order of the Uttar Pradesh governor refusing sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Mayawati under the Prevention of Corruption Act for her alleged involvement in the scandal.

A bench comprising Justices S B Sinha, S H Kapadia and B K Jain reserved its verdict after hearing the amicus Kishan Mahajan and Solicitor General G E Vahanvati on behalf of the Centre.

The amicus had earlier contended before the court that the order of the state Governor refusing sanction for the prosecution of Mayawati and the order of the trial court judge dated June 5 are in violation of the Supreme Court order directing that only the report of the investigating officer in the case shall be placed before the competent court to consider whether a prima facie case is made out against the CM and her associates.

He also contended that no authority in the country apart from the state governor can go beyond the orders and directions of this court.

The apex court will decide whether an environmental bench can decide on the order of a Governor in a criminal case.

All attempts of the Central government to save Mayawati were foiled by the Supreme Court when it directed that the report of any other officer and the opinion of the Attorney General of India, Milon Kumar Banerjee, shall not be sent to the court as these opinions overruled the report of the investigating officer who in his report had said that a prima facie case was made out and there was sufficient evidence for prosecuting the BSP chief.

The Chief Minister is facing allegations of amassing assets beyond her known sources of income. She is reported to have made over Rs 100 crores in the Taj corridor scandal.

UNI