Aircel-Maxis: SC allows govt to probe serious charges against ED official

The Supreme Court has allowed the government to probe the serious charges Rajeshwar Singh, an officer with the Enforcement Directorate, probing the 2G and Aircel-Maxis case.

The court was hearing a plea by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking impleadment in a case filed against an Enforcement Directorate officer investigating the Aircel-Maxis deal.

The court quoted the government affidavit that it does not what to protect anyone guilty howsoever high he or she may be. The Centre also said that it would the Airce;-Maxis probe to the logical conclusion.

A vacation bench of Justices Arun Mishra and S K Kaul had directed Swamy to serve the copy of his application to the petitioner Rajneesh Kapur who has filed the case against ED officer Rajeshwar Singh. The bench also asked Kapur to be present tomorrow during the hearing of the case.

In his petition, Kapur has alleged that Singh, the investigating officer in the Aircel-Maxis case, has amassed disproportionate assets beyond the known sources of his income.

The court while hearing the plea today termed the allegations against the ED senior officer as serious. The Bench observed that no officer probing a sensitive case should be under the cloud.

The Bench said that the sealed cover allegations against the officer given by ASG Bikram Banerjee is sensitive and involves national security. Swamy said that the officer is due for promotion as Additional Director and the finance secretary is inimical to Singh after the Nirav Modi scam.

The Bench however said that the promotion is a personal matter and that the allegations were of very serious nature. The government must look into it an the officer cannot be given immunity, just because he had blanket protection from the Supreme Court while probing the 2G and Aircel Maxis scam.