Slush fund PIL timing ‘mystifying’

The Centre on Wednesday questioned the timing and motive behind the petition by jurist Ram Jethlmalani and others to bring back money stashed in foreign banks while asserting that it was not sitting idle on the issue, reports Satya Prakash.

The Centre on Wednesday questioned the timing and motive behind the petition by jurist Ram Jethlmalani and others to bring back money stashed in foreign banks while asserting that it was not sitting idle on the issue.

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“The Government is acting on the matter and to receive the petition during the election time leaves ground for mystification,” Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium told the Supreme Court after senior counsel Anil B Divan mentioned the PIL seeking action to bring back an estimated Rs 70,00,000 crore stashed in foreign banks.

The Finance Ministry has already written to the German authorities and the government has received certain information, Subramanium told a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, but refused to divulge the details as investigations were on.

Subramanium offered to file an affidavit within 48 hours detailing the steps taken by the Government on the issue.