The Supreme Court has decided to examine the grave allegations brought forward by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Chhattisgarh government, accusing former bureaucrats Anil K. Tuteja and Alok Shukla of attempting to influence a High Court judge to secure anticipatory bail in the Nagarik Apurti Nigam (NAN) scam. A bench comprising Justices A.S. Oka and A.G. Masih pressed Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju to provide evidence supporting the claims that the ex-bureaucrats tampered with evidence and used their bail to manipulate judicial proceedings.
Raju informed the court that evidence had been submitted in a sealed cover by the ED, but it was not readily available. He offered to resubmit the evidence. Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the Chhattisgarh government, claimed that WhatsApp conversations had been annexed in their affidavits, revealing a connection between the accused, the former state Advocate General, and the judge involved in granting the bail.
On behalf of the accused, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi argued that the Chhattisgarh government had no standing in the matter, which was between the ED and the accused. Rohatgi questioned the state's involvement in filing affidavits, asserting that the former Advocate General’s alleged participation in the fraud had no bearing on the current proceedings. He also emphasized that the ED's objective was to move the trial outside Chhattisgarh. The court, while scheduling the next hearing for November 8, stressed the need to review the evidence of alleged collusion between the accused, the former Advocate General, and the judge, underscoring the importance of maintaining the integrity of the judicial system.
Source PTI
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