A government panel in 2009 found Indian illicit funds to range between $500 billion and what is now the size of India’s economy of $1.4 trillion.
Monday’s court order came in response to a petition from prominent opposition figure and leading lawyer Ram Jethmalani that said the government had done nothing to bring back illicit funds or “black money” hidden abroad. “The Supreme Court has made very strong observations against the government and the government agencies as they have not provided the required information, documents and details in spite of repeated directions given by the court,” Anil Devan, senior counsel for the petitioner, told reporters.
A raft of high-profile corruption scandals in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s second term has sharpened public anger against his government, which has struggled with policymaking as it firefights one crisis after another.
A former minister and two prominent lawmakers are in jail as they face charges of graft in the grant of telecoms licenses and in the award of contracts for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Most of the action has come following prodding from the apex court.
The Supreme Court has in the past chastised Singh’s coalition for failing to unearth illicit funds kept in Swiss banks and other tax havens. Singh has had to also defend himself in court against allegations of inaction against graft. The Supreme Court will monitor progress of the latest investigations to be led by former judge B.P. Jeevan Reddy. The team would include the chief of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
“The court has given full powers to the special committee (to) make cold inquiries, cold investigations (in India and abroad) and all the government agencies are supposed to cooperate and act under their direction,” Devan said.
The court also directed the government to disclose the names of those against whom the government had initiated legal proceedings for amassing illegal funds.
