Supreme Court defers hearing of PIL in PNB case
The AG pointed out that a case had been registered and investigation had started and at this stage there was no need for court intervention.
New Delhi: With the Centre strongly opposing the PIL, which has sought a direction to ensure that Nirav Modi, main accused in the Rs 11,400 crore Punjab National Bank scam is brought back to India within two months, the Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred the hearing till March 16.
After the PIL filed by advocate J.P. Dhanda came up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, attorney-general K.K. Venugopal, submitted that he was opposing the petition. The AG pointed out that a case had been registered and investigation had started and at this stage there was no need for court intervention. Advocate Vineet Dhanda, son of the petitioner took exception to the A-G’s submission and submitted that poor farmers committed suicide for their inability to repay agricultural loans and on the other hand Nirav Modi, involved in the Rs 11,300 crore PNB fraud has been allowed to flee the country.
The CJI told the counsel that since the A-G has raised preliminary objection on the maintainability of the writ petition, there should be detailed hearing and hence posted the matter to March 16. Counsel however, persisted with his arguments and wanted the court to seek a status report on the investigation and as to how Nirav Modi fled the country.