ID :
77054
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 16:54
Auther :

SC stays Delhi HC order to disclose Volcker report before CIC


New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) After being snubbed by the Delhi
High Court for seeking exemption from the inspection of
records in the oil-for-food scam by the Central Information
Commission (CIC), the Enforcement Directorate has approached
the Supreme Court of India which has given "interim stay".

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 Right to
Information (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 and fraud in its Oil
for Food Programme in Iraq. (More) PTI ABS
ANU


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