New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) The Supreme Court Friday refused to pass any interim directions on a Jharkhand government appeal challenging an order of the high court which had accepted the maintainability of a plea seeking a probe against Chief Minister Hemant Soren in mining cases.
A vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Hima Kohli said let the high court decide the matter. The issue cannot be entertained piecemeal, it said.
The top court posted the matter for hearing before an appropriate bench post summer vacations on the request of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the state government.
Rohatgi said the case against the chief minister was a politically motivated petition to destabilise the government. Rohatgi said the high court is hearing the matter on day-to-day basis and it was difficult from him to comprehend the urgency in the case.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he would explain the urgency in the case.
The plea before the Jharkhand High Court has sought a probe into alleged irregularities in the grant of mining leases and also into the transactions of some shell companies allegedly operated by Soren's family members and associates.
ACB raids premises of 21 officials in K'taka
Bengaluru, Jun 17 (PTI) Personnel of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Karnataka raided the offices and premises of 21 officials, who are suspected to have amassed assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, at 80 locations, ACB authorities said on Friday.
The exercise started from early in the morning on Friday in which 300 officers and staff took part, the ACB said.
The officials found valuables and cash, besides investment documents, sources in the ACB said. They, however, did not share details as the raids were still underway.
Those who were raided include engineers in the Irrigation department, public works department and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.
A police inspector, District Registrar in the office of the Inspector General of Registration, Road Transport Officer, a Project Director of the Nirmiti Kendra, Panchayat grade-2 secretary in Gadag district and assistant comptroller in the veterinary department were also among those whose premises were raided.
