General Knowledge-Current Affairs- SC directs Centre to reveal all names of Indian account holders in foreign banks

SC directs Centre to reveal all names of Indian account holders in foreign banks

The Supreme Court today directed the Centre to disclose all the names of holders of illegal money to it in a sealed envelope. It asked the Centre not to give one, two, or three names of account holders, but the entire list supplied to it by the foreign countries. The Court slammed the Government for its reluctance on the issue. Chief Justice H.L Dattu asked the Centre not to indulge in any kind of probe by itself.

The Apex Court had some strong words for the new Government for seeking a modification of its earlier order on the disclosure of all names. It noted that the order had been passed in an open court in the presence of Solicitor General and the new regime cannot ask for a modification of the order.

The Court added that it will not change even a word of it. It said that the same had been accepted by the then UPA government.

The Court asked the Government why it is trying to protect people having bank accounts in foreign countries. It also asked the government not to do anything, but provide all information to it and the Court would direct investigation to be done by SIT, or by other agencies including CBI.

The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Dattu rejected outright the plea of the Attorney General, Mukul Rohatgi, that the Government can disclose names only after conducting probes on the illegality of bank accounts.

The Attorney General has said that the government has received 500 names of account holders from different countries like Germany.

The Supreme Court has been monitoring the investigations into black money since 2009. In 2011, the Apex Court had asked for complete disclosure of information on Indians holding black money abroad.