New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has moved the Supreme Court of India to challenge an order issued by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, which instructed central investigative agencies to verify allegations regarding his personal assets. As per the official apex court cause list, a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana is scheduled to hear the matter on August 17. Along with challenging the directives, Gandhi has also submitted a separate petition seeking the transfer of the entire proceeding from the Allahabad High Court to the Delhi High Court.
The legal challenge arises from proceedings initiated in the High Court following a criminal writ petition filed by Karnataka resident and Bharatiya Janata Party worker S Vignesh Shishir. The petitioner sought an extensive inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into allegations that the senior Congress leader holds assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Given the sensitive nature of the matter, the High Court bench had conducted in-chamber hearings while maintaining the complete case record in a sealed cover under the custody of the senior registrar.
During a previous hearing on July 20, the Allahabad High Court expressed strong dissatisfaction with the counter-affidavit submitted by the CBI, noting that the document failed to adequately detail any substantive progress made on the complaint. Consequently, the High Court directed the Joint Director or head of the relevant zone at the CBI Anti-Corruption headquarters in New Delhi to personally file a fresh status report. Additionally, the bench observed that the ED remained at liberty to proceed in accordance with the law should any material indicating financial illegalities come to light during its preliminary inquiry.
The High Court had also granted a four-week period for the Union government to file counter-affidavits through key departments, including the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office, the Department of Revenue, and the Department of Personnel and Training. With the High Court previously scheduling its next hearing for August 20, the upcoming proceedings before the Supreme Court on August 17 will be pivotal in determining whether the ongoing agency verification will be stayed or transferred to another forum.
