The Supreme Court Monday granted Rahul Gandhi significant relief in the disputed assets case. The court stopped the Allahabad High Court from continuing proceedings against Gandhi for now. It also barred CBI and ED from filing any reports under earlier court directions. Chief Justice Surya Kant led the bench hearing Gandhi’s challenge against those proceedings today. Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana joined the Chief Justice during Monday’s hearing session. The bench issued notices to petitioner S Vignesh Shishir and the central agencies involved. It asked the high court to defer its next hearing until further orders meanwhile. The Supreme Court will first examine Gandhi’s challenge before allowing any further proceedings ahead. The allegations concern Gandhi’s alleged possession of assets beyond his publicly known income levels. The interim order temporarily restricts investigative steps connected with those disputed allegations for now.
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Supreme Court Grants Rahul Gandhi Interim Relief
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal strongly challenged the proceedings during arguments before the bench today. He described the case as a witch-hunt process lacking recognition under existing law entirely. Sibal also questioned Shishir’s authority and eligibility to approach the Allahabad high court directly. He alleged that the petitioner had failed to disclose his credentials properly before filing. Sibal argued that repeated attempts targeted Gandhi through the same petitioner again and again. He also questioned the CBI’s role in handling the original complaint from beginning itself. According to Sibal, the agency had only verified the complaint so far itself reportedly. He said the allegations’ truth could not justify the current procedural approach alone legally. Sibal maintained that authorities must follow established legal safeguards throughout these proceedings very carefully. He therefore urged the Supreme Court to examine the process before permitting continuation further.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju represented the central investigative agencies during Monday’s hearing today. He told the bench that CBI and ED had not participated earlier in proceedings. Raju said authorities would treat cognisable offences as serious if allegations supported them legally. However, the Chief Justice focused attention on natural justice requirements during these proceedings carefully. He said courts should follow natural justice before directing investigative agencies to act against. The bench therefore examined whether earlier judicial directions followed proper procedural safeguards consistently beforehand. Shishir appeared virtually and opposed Gandhi’s petition before the Supreme Court bench directly today. He argued that proceedings remained at a pre-FIR stage at the present time currently. Shishir claimed accused persons lacked any right to participate during that stage legally there. The bench considered both sides’ arguments before issuing temporary protective directions afterward carefully today.
Kapil Sibal Calls Proceedings a ‘Witch-Hunt’
Justice Joymalya Bagchi directly questioned agencies about their response to serious allegations during hearing. He asked why agencies had not independently acted if allegations appeared serious enough today. Bagchi questioned whether investigators required court directions before starting any action themselves immediately there. He also asked whether agencies had considered taking suo motu action already themselves independently. His questions highlighted concerns about agency independence and procedural responsibility during investigations overall today. The bench sought clarity about actions taken before the high court’s intervention earlier today. Justice Bagchi’s remarks placed the agencies’ conduct under close judicial scrutiny publicly today there. The questions also examined whether allegations alone justified continued court supervision over investigations further. The Supreme Court therefore focused on process rather than determining allegations’ truth immediately today. It will examine these issues further when authorities respond to issued notices formally there.
The dispute originated from a July twenty order by the Allahabad High Court authorities. The Lucknow bench had expressed dissatisfaction with a CBI response previously submitted earlier officially. It directed a senior CBI officer to submit another detailed affidavit promptly thereafter again. The affidavit must explain progress in the agency’s ongoing inquiry into allegations against Gandhi. That inquiry concerns allegations involving Gandhi’s alleged dual citizenship and related claims raised earlier. The high court had sought clearer information about the investigation’s progress from CBI officials. Gandhi challenged those directions before the Supreme Court, seeking procedural relief from them immediately. The Supreme Court’s latest order pauses further action pending consideration of his plea fully. Meanwhile, CBI and ED cannot submit reports under the challenged court directions for now. The case will return before the Supreme Court after responses from concerned parties arrive.
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