Apex Court Directs CBI and ED to Halt Submissions to Allahabad High Court in RaGa's Disproportionate Asset Case

In a major legal relief for Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Allahabad High Court to defer its proceedings regarding an alleged disproportionate assets case against him. The apex court also restrained central investigating agencies from submitting any probe reports to the high court in connection with the matter.

The top court instructed both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) not to file any status or progress reports before the Allahabad High Court. The ruling effectively halts the ongoing proceedings before the high court's Lucknow bench pending further orders from the Supreme Court.

The development came after Gandhi petitioned the Supreme Court against a high court order that had mandated the investigative agencies to verify allegations raised against his personal assets.

The Supreme Court Ruling

• The Supreme Court instructed the Allahabad High Court to defer the matter and refrain from proceeding further for now.
• Central agencies CBI and ED were directed not to submit any investigation reports to the High Court.
• The top court order halts the scheduled high court hearing that was set for August 20.

CBI and ED Directives Under Scrutiny

On July 20, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court expressed dissatisfaction with the initial affidavit filed by the CBI. Treating the matter as non-compliant, the bench directed a senior officer, specifically the joint director or head of the concerned zone at the CBI Anti-Corruption headquarters in New Delhi, to personally file a fresh affidavit detailing the progress of the probe. The high court had also noted that if the ED uncovered any documents or material indicating illegalities during its inquiry, the agency remained free to take statutory action.

Background of the Petition and In-Chamber Hearing

The high court proceedings originated from a writ petition filed by Karnataka resident S Vignesh Shishir, a BJP worker who previously raised allegations regarding Gandhi’s citizenship.

Following an in-chamber hearing lasting nearly two hours, the high court had treated the case as part-heard and kept the entire record in a sealed cover in the safe custody of the senior registrar due to its sensitive nature. With the Supreme Court's latest order, the central agencies and the high court must maintain the status quo until further instructions.