Tags:
Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, Aug 14: The Delhi high court today asked the Central Government and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to reply within two days to the show cause notices on an application for condonation of delay in filing a review petition concerning charges against former Congress president Sitaram Kesri and others.
The next hearing was posted for September four.
In his review petition, Patna-based journalist Madhuresh Kumar had sought monitoring of ED’s probe against Kesri, Bennett Coleman and Company Chairman Ashok Jain and his brother Alok Jain for alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act.
The review petition was filed against dismissal by the court last year of his public interest petition, seeking the same relief on the grounds that a similar petition was being dealt with by the court.
Since the review petition was not filed during the stipulated period, the petitioner also moved the condonation of delay application.
When the case came up for hearing today, a division benchcomprising acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Justice SK Mahajan directed the Centre, ED, Kesri, Jain and his brother to file their replies within two days stating why the application should not be accepted.
The petitioner submitted that the delay in filing the review against the court’s May 30, 1997 order was because of various reasons, including vacations in the HC and illness and then death of his mother.
