The Supreme Court on Friday witnessed a high drama after it was told that the Enforcement Directorate's reply to a bail application was filed without proper clearance. .However, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who made the statement this morning, later blamed it on a miscommunication.The developments took place before the Bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan."This affidavit was filed in hot haste without being vetted. I smell something fishy. I have ordered a departmental inquiry in this case. It has not been vetted ... There is something wrong on ED (Enforcement Directorate) side. I have asked the Director to start an inquiry," Raju told the Court in the morning..This prompted the Bench to seek the presence of the Advocate on Record (AoR) who filed the reply on behalf of the ED."When Advocate on Record files a counter, then he is responsible... when ED files an affidavit, the AoR needs to read it. We want to hear the AoR. Ask him to be present," Justice Oka said..In the afternoon, however, ASG Raju said that the AoR was not to be blamed. Raju added that he was not disowning the affidavit. He indicated that the issue was that the affidavit was not properly vetted. "It was without vetting," the ASG submitted."You are saying AoR has not read it. You are casting aspersions on the AoR," the Court observed. The ASG replied that he was not casting aspersions on anyone. He also apologized for the miscommunication."Let it proceed. I will not file a fresh affidavit ... I did not say AoR has to be blamed ... Please bury the hatchet," he urged the Court..Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora, representing the accused who had filed the bail application, told the Court that the accused had been behind bars for 18 months. She added that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future, while seeking bail for her client. The Court said it would hear the matter on February 5. "ED shall not file a fresh affidavit as submitted by ASG. List in February 5, in first five cases," the Court ordered. .Government wants to deny bail to PMLA accused by hook or crook: Supreme Court.[Read Live Coverage]
The Supreme Court on Friday witnessed a high drama after it was told that the Enforcement Directorate's reply to a bail application was filed without proper clearance. .However, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who made the statement this morning, later blamed it on a miscommunication.The developments took place before the Bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan."This affidavit was filed in hot haste without being vetted. I smell something fishy. I have ordered a departmental inquiry in this case. It has not been vetted ... There is something wrong on ED (Enforcement Directorate) side. I have asked the Director to start an inquiry," Raju told the Court in the morning..This prompted the Bench to seek the presence of the Advocate on Record (AoR) who filed the reply on behalf of the ED."When Advocate on Record files a counter, then he is responsible... when ED files an affidavit, the AoR needs to read it. We want to hear the AoR. Ask him to be present," Justice Oka said..In the afternoon, however, ASG Raju said that the AoR was not to be blamed. Raju added that he was not disowning the affidavit. He indicated that the issue was that the affidavit was not properly vetted. "It was without vetting," the ASG submitted."You are saying AoR has not read it. You are casting aspersions on the AoR," the Court observed. The ASG replied that he was not casting aspersions on anyone. He also apologized for the miscommunication."Let it proceed. I will not file a fresh affidavit ... I did not say AoR has to be blamed ... Please bury the hatchet," he urged the Court..Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora, representing the accused who had filed the bail application, told the Court that the accused had been behind bars for 18 months. She added that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future, while seeking bail for her client. The Court said it would hear the matter on February 5. "ED shall not file a fresh affidavit as submitted by ASG. List in February 5, in first five cases," the Court ordered. .Government wants to deny bail to PMLA accused by hook or crook: Supreme Court.[Read Live Coverage]
