SC refuses to defer Laloo case

The Supreme Court today refused to heed the Centre’s request for changing the date of hearing a PIL challenging quashing of Income Tax cases against Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium had urged the Centre to change the date from September 20, saying Attorney General G E Vahanvati had to attend to the petition challenging the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly which is up for hearing that day.

However, a three-judge bench headed by Justice S N Variava declined to grant the request and said it was for the government to make alternative arrangements.

The PIL filed by JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh and BJP leader Sushil Modi had accused Laloo of interfering in the ongoing trial of the multi-crore fodder scam cases and alleged that the Central Board of Direct Taxes had not pursued the I-T cases against him.