SC asks SIT to submit status report on black money by 12 May

The Supreme Court has asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money to submit a status report of its investigation in the money laundering case by 12 May.

A bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and justices Madan B Lokur and A K Sikri said it has not received any new report and asked senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, appearing for SIT, to ''request'' the probe team to submit a fresh status report on or before 12 May so that ''we can have a look at it before the summer vacation''.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by former judge of the Supreme Court Justice M B Shah is expected to file periodical updates of the investigation on black money.

The apex court had, on 20 January, asked SIT to consider suggestions of senior advocate Ram Jethmalani who had filed a PIL in 2009 on the black money issue, on the way forward to bring the illegal money stashed in banks abroad.

The SIT is likely to submit more names in the black money case, as per report.

The SIT had in December last year said it was gathering more names other than the over the list of HSBC account holders in HSBC Bank, Geneva, provided by the government to Supreme Court in November.

The government had, in October last year, submitted to the Supreme Court a list containing names of 627 Indians who have accounts in overseas banks. However, all these 627 Indians were not considered to have black money stashed abroad as some of these accounts may be legitimate.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu had refused to open the sealed envelope saying that the documents be placed before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by it.

Only SIT chairman and vice chairman can open the sealed envelope containing names of account holders, the court had stated.

The SC also directed the SIT to evolve its own procedure on the kind of probe needed into these accounts and also to evolve the process on how to get the black money back.