The Chhattisgarh government on Thursday has denied that the Chief Minister of the State has met with Chhattisgarh High Court judge in connection with the Nagrik Apurti Nigam scam (NAN scam)as claimed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Senior Counsel Kapil Sibal who appeared for the State, said that the argument by Enforcement Directorate was false.
Sibal said that no Chhattisgarh High Court judge met the State Chief Minister.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) UU Lalit and Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice S Ravindra Bhat, however, noted that the hearing in the matter might not be over before the retirement of CJI Lalit.
The bench release the matter from its board with directions to list in the third week of November after obtaining instructions from the next CJI.
The Court directed that the registry is directed to list the matter in week commencing November 14, 2022 after directions from the CJI. The sealed cover documents shall be re-sealed.
The multi-crore Public Distribution System scam from Chhattisgarh which was known as NAN scam came to light in 2015 when Economic Offences Investigation (EOI) and Anti-corruption Bureau, Raipur, Chhattisgarh conducted raids on February 12, 2015 in different district offices and residence of the officers of Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation and Chhattisgarh State Warehousing Corporation .
Not only this, but also the headquarters at Raipur were also raided after which a case against the officers of the corporation was filed.
Those involved have been accused of supplying low quality rice, grams, salt etc.
The Enforcement Directorate had also registered a money laundering case against two IAS officers who were involved in this.
Later on the plea was moved seeking transfer of trial from Chhattisgarh alleging that a senior functionary of the government has been trying to weaken the predicate offence against the accused.
In the counter affidavit filed, the ED in alleged that the accused were in touch with a Chhattisgarh High Court judge through Constitutional functionaries who were helping the accused.
The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said that WhatsApp chats revealed connivance between accused IAS officers and those holding Constitutional posts.
Tushar Mehta had said that these highly placed officers in connivance with authorities in constitutional posts took advantage.
He had clearly never mentioned the names, but had WhatsApp chats. He had said that revealing names would shake the faith of people upon system.
During the last hearing, Mehta had alleged that the Chief Minister had met a Chhattisgarh High Court judge.
While the matter was up today for hearing, Kapil Sibal contested that claim.
Sibal said that we took instructions. The Chief Minister never met any High Court judge.
Tushar Mehta said that “I only read a Whatsapp chat where a close….”but he was not allowed any further.
The bench made it clear that it will not hear the case any further.