New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today sent a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), BSP chief Mayawati and the Centre on a review petition asking the court to further probe the disproportionate assets against the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
The Supreme Court in July this year had quashed an FIR filed by the CBI against Mayawati in the case. In August, the petition seeking review of the Supreme Court judgement, filed by one Kamalesh Verma through his advocate Kamini Jaiswal, said that since the CBI failed to file the review, the petitioner is doing so.
The Supreme Court after hearing the review petition said today that it will issue notice to all, seeking their views in the case, adding that the CBI has not been prohibited from probing the disproportionate assets case against Mayawati.
"CBI is at liberty to investigate illegal assets case, if any against her. There is no prohibition. We quashed the FIR as there was no direction to investigate. It doesn't debar to proceed with the probe with the sanction. If there is any doubt we will clear," the Supreme Court said today.
"We never said that CBI has no power to investigate. It can do so, but has to get sanction from the state government," the Supreme Court added.
The top court said its verdict of quashing the case against Mayawati was not to protect anyone.
The Supreme Court on July 6 had quashed the FIR filed against the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister saying, "There was no direction to the CBI to conduct a probe into the petitioner's assets. The agency had only been directed to probe the Taj Corridor case. There's no material against her available to this court."
(With inputs from PTI)