In a setback for Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the CBI to continue its probe against the former UP chief minister and his sons, Akhilesh and Prateek, in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.
However, it dropped the case against Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav, now a Lok Sabha MP, saying she was not a public servant when charges were framed against her.
Last week, Mulayam played a leading role in enabling the government win a parliamentary vote on its decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail. The SP despite not being a member of the coalition at the Centre, provides crucial external support to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led government.
While modifying its March 2007 order, which had asked the agency to submit its preliminary probe report to the Centre for further action, a bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir said it was an error to ask the CBI to submit the report to the Centre.
?The CBI is independent from the government and can continue with the probe as per the law,? the bench said, while directing the CBI to file a status report in the case to it and the government.
The preliminary probe was ordered by the apex court on March 1, 2007, on a PIL filed by lawyer Vishwanath Chaturvedi, accused by Mulayam to be associated with the Congress.
Thursday’s order came on a plea by the Yadavs for a review of the 2007 order. The top court on February 17, 2012, had reserved its verdict on Mulayam’s plea for annulment of the order after hearing Chaturvedi.
The lawyer had criticised the Centre for its double standards and quoted the Centre’s November 13, 2006, affidavit supporting the probe into the alleged illegal wealth amassed by the Yadavs.
