Black money: SC gives a week's time to Centre to constitute SIT

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday gave a week's time to the Centre to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the black money case. The apex court directed that all documents relating to black money be kept in the safe custody of a secretary-level officer of the revenue department.

In a last ditch effort to stall setting up of the SIT, the UPA government last week had sought a review of the SC judgements constituting the panel under its former judge MB Shah.

The UPA government pleaded before a bench headed by Justice BS Chauhan to give an urgent hearing on its review plea. The bench, also comprising Justice AK Sikri, however, refused to hear the case, saying that it cannot sit over a judgement delivered by another bench.

The bench asked Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra to approach Supreme Court Registrar who can consult with the judges who had passed the order and if the judges agree then matter could be listed.

"How can we sit over the judgement of the other bench. The judges are available during the vacation so you talk to the Registrar. Proper procedure is to talk with Registrar and then matter could be listed," the bench said.

Advocate Sandeep Kapoor, appearing for Ram Jethmalani who is the petitioner in the case, opposed Centre's plea. The apex court on May 1 directed the Centre to handover within three days all documents and information collected by it in its probe in the cases of alleged stashing of black money in LST bank in Liechtenstein, Germany, to Jethmalani and others who raised the issue before it.

It had also appointed its retired judges M B Shah as the Chairman and Arijit Pasayat as the Vice Chairman of the Special Investigating Team (SIT) for providing guidance and direction in the investigation of all cases of black money in the country and abroad.

Justice Shah, who was earlier appointed as Vice Chairman by July 4, 2011 order will take place of former apex court judge B P Jeevan Reddy who expressed his inability to continue as Chairman due to personal reasons.

The bench directed the Centre to issue notification regarding their appointment within three weeks.

(With additional information from PTI)