SC stays Delhi HC order to disclose Volcker report before CIC

After being snubbed by the Delhi High Court for seeking exemption from the inspection of records in the oil-for-food scam by the CIC, the Enforcement Directorate has approached the Supreme Court which has given "interim stay".

After being snubbed by the Delhi High Court for seeking exemption from the inspection of records in the oil-for-food scam by the CIC, the Enforcement Directorate has approached the Supreme Court which has given "interim stay".

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A division bench comprising Justices B N Agarwal and G S Singhvi of the Supreme Court last week issued notices to Arun Kumar Agarwal, the petitioner before the CIC, and allowed the interim stay order on a Delhi High Court order directing ED to provide the file of Special Envoy to UN Virendra Dayal in the oil-for-food scam for inspection.

The Delhi High Court had upheld the Central Information Commissions' directive to ED seeking inspection of Dayal's report in the scam that saw the ouster of former External Affairs minister Natwar Singh for his alleged involvement.

"...Directorate of Enforcement will produce their original records in terms of directions issued by CIC on the next date of hearing," Justice Sanjiv Khanna of the Delhi High Court had said in his order adding that the CIC had merely asked for inspection of records to satisfy itself on the pleas raised which are to be adjudicated.

The CIC, while hearing the petition of RTI applicant, Agrawal, had directed the ED to produce the report of Dayal, who was appointed by the government as special envoy to coordinate with UN officials on the Volcker Committee report, before deciding on its exemption from disclosure.

The Paul Volcker Committee was set up by the United Nations in April 2004 to probe corruption charges and fraud in the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme.