Date:10/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/10/stories/2008051054711300.htm

National

Court to hear Mayawati’s plea against CBI on May 15

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on May 15 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s petition seeking to quash all proceedings initiated by the CBI in the disproportionate assets case registered against her.

A Bench, comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, and Justices R.V. Raveendran and M.K. Sharma posted the petition for hearing on May 15 after it was mentioned for early listing.

Ms. Mayawati contended in the petition that the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to register a case only in the Taj Corridor scam relating to sanctioning of Rs.17 crore for the project without proper approval. There was no direction to the CBI to register a disproportionate assets (DA) case against her. However, the CBI registered two cases. The Allahabad High Court had stayed her arrest in the DA case.

Alleging that the CBI was harassing her in the DA case by searching her house and seizing her bank accounts without any authority or direction from the court, she said her fundamental rights were violated due to the “illegal” investigation. Hence, the writ petition.