Black money issue: SC appoints SIT headed by Justice Reddy

New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) The Supreme Court of India
Monday appointed a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT)
headed by former apex court judge B P Jeevan Reddy to monitor
the investigation and the steps being taken to bring back
black money stashed away in foreign banks.
Besides Justice Reddy, who will be the chairman of the
SIT, the apex court also appointed its former judge, Justice
M B Shah as the vice-chairman of the panel.
A bench comprising justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S
Nijjar directed that the High-Level Committee (HLC)
constituted by the government to look into the issue of
black money would "forthwith" be a part of the SIT.
The bench also directed the government to disclose the
names of all the persons who have been issued show cause
notices by the authorities in connection with the probe into
the black money issue.
The court, however, made it clear that the authorities
would not disclose the names of those who have not been
investigated in connection with deposits made in foreign banks
including Liechtenstein bank.
The court passed the order on a petition filed by
eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani and others seeking directions
to the government to track black money stashed away abroad and
bring it back.
The court also asked the SIT to submit a comprehensive
action plan to deal with cases relating to the black money
issue.
Justifying its decision to constitute the SIT, the
bench said that in previous cases also the court has been
passing such orders to fulfil its constitutional obligation.
The court also said that it's not possible for it to
be involved in day-to-day investigations in the case as the
resources at its disposal were scarce.
The bench said the issue of black money has to be
taken with a degree of seriousness and the state is primarily
responsible to make all efforts to bring back into the country
such wealth and punish people who have stashed away money in
foreign banks.