SC serves notices on Subrata Roy, 2 others over alleged meddling in 2G scam probe

The Supreme Court on Monday issued show-cause notices of criminal contempt to Subrata Roy and two others for allegedly interfering in the ongoing investigation into the 2G, holding that the allegation against Sahara chief Subrata Roy is "maintainable".

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and K S Radhakrishnan held that contempt proceedings were "perfectly maintainable" and that the court was under a "constitutional obligation" to find out whether there was a deliberate attempt to derail the probe into 2G case, which was being monitored by it.

The bench in its show-cause notices has asked Roy and others to explain why criminal actions under Contempt of Court Act should not be initiated against them.

The court has also taken a serious view of a questionnaire sent by a reporter of Sahara Samay Television, seeking personal information from the investigating officer Rajeshwar Singh, assistant director, Enforcement Directorate, after the ED summond Roy for questioning over alleged violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The bench also issued notices to Upendra Rai, editor and news director of Sahara India and reporter Subodh Jain seeking their response in six weeks and directed the matter to be listed for hearing after eight weeks.

"Having gone through the records we are prima facie of the view that an attempt has been made to interfere with the investigation conducted by Mr Rajeshwar Singh in what has been described as 2G spectrum scam case and related matters. Therefore, we take suo motu cognisance and issue notices to them," the bench said in its order.

The bench had earlier recorded an undertaking from Roy's counsel that Sahara India News Network and its sister concerns would not publish or broadcast any story or programme on the basis of the 25 questions sent by the reporter.

Meanwhile, the Sahara India Pariwar chief said the company would move the Supreme Court regarding the submission of fresh title deeds to market regulator SEBI.

"We want to submit the title deeds directly to the nationalised banks and not to SEBI for which the company would seek nod from the Supreme Court. We are now going to approach the apex court for an order so that we can submit all the documents to banks and not to SEBI," Roy said.

Sahara India was required to submit the title deeds of property valued at Rs20,000 crore to the marker regulator as per direction of the Supreme Court.