SC asks govt to disclose details of black money probe

The Supreme Court has ordered the government to disclose the names of those who had stashed black money in foreign banks.

It also asked the government to explain why it did not disclose details of black money probe to the petitioner, even though a German bank had given the list to the government several years ago.

The apex court also pulled up the central government for not complying with its directions, including handing over probe details to the Special investigations team (SIT) probing details of black money stashed away by Indian nationals.

The court has asked the revenue secretary in the finance ministry to reply by next week.

The court had, in its 4 July 2011 judgment, asked the government to disclose the names to the petitioner, noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who wanted the illegal money to be brought back to this country.

By the same order, the Supreme Court had also converted the high level committee formed by the government to monitor all issues relating to black money into an SIT by appointing former apex court judge B P Jeevan Reddy as its head.

Another former apex court judge M B Shah was appointed as the vice chairman of the 13-member SIT.

The SC had also inducted director of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) into the SIT, which also included directors of CBI, Intelligence Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate, chairman of CBDT, director general of revenue intelligence, director general of narcotics control, director of foreign intelligence office (FIO) and joint secretary of foreign trade.

The erstwhile high level committee was headed by the revenue secretary.

The SC had earlier rejected the central government's plea to recall its order for setting up a SIT to probe all cases of black money, saying it had to step in as "the government failed to bring back the money stashed in foreign banks to the country for over six decades.''