SC orders permanent absorption of ED Deputy Director

“The Central government shall confirm the permanent absorption of Rajeshwar Singh as Deputy Director within three days from today,” the Supreme Court said today.

The Bench headed by Justice Dattu criticized the Centre for not complying with the orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), issued on December 24 last year, to absorb Singh on permanent basis with the Enforcement Directorate

The Court went on to say, “You (Centre) don’t obey the positive directions issued by the tribunal. The Delhi high court refuses to stay the order of the tribunal on your writ petition. Even then you kept waiting for eight months.”

The Bench clearly showed its intent and observed, “We will pass an order asking you to give him permanent appointment with ED,” the Court said, also saying that “this court had trusted this man for conducting the trial. Do you expect him to keep on fighting court cases and investigate the matter?”

Earlier, the Court in May had ordered Deputy Director of Enforcement Directorate to continue to investigate 2G spectrum cases.

The Court in the present matter also made clear that the order of the CAT has to be complied with as the Centre failed to file a SLP in the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court refused to stay the tribunal’s order in the appeal.

The Court during previous hearings had said that it will pass an order only after hearing Mr. Singh as to whether he wants to continue with ED or not.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Subramanium Swamy raised the issue and said that despite the apex court’s May 1 order he had not been reinstated into the investigation and it was not known “what powerful element are working” that he is out of the probe.

Rajeshwar Singh had sought recusal from the investigation as attempts were being made to destroy the case.Swamy was one of the petitioners on whose petition the 2G licences were cancelled by the Supreme Court which is monitoring the probe by the CBI and the ED.