SC Dismisses Centre’s Review Petition Against CBI Probe in HZL Disinvestment

Paridhi Arya

Published on May 28, 2022 at 13:38 IST

The Division Bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice B.V. Nagarathna refused to list Review Petition against the Judgment passed on November 18, 2021 directing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register regular case in the relation of illegalities during the disinvestment.

“Application for listing the review petition in open court is rejected. We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers. We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers. We find no merit in the review petition and the same is accordingly dismissed,” stated in Order.

Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) was incorporated in 1966 and then Government decided to do disinvestment in the company in 1991. The second trench of disinvestment was challenged before Rajasthan High Court.

The Government filed a Petition in Supreme Court seeking transfer of matter in Supreme Court which was allowed. In 2014, Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed to restrain Government from doing disinvestment.

On July 2020, the Anti-Corruption Branch of Jodhpur filed Affidavit about closure of preliminary enquiry before Supreme Court. The Director of Prosecution recommended its closure but Additional Director recommended conversion of preliminary enquiry into regular case.

The Apex Court ordered CBI to investigate disinvestment against which Miscellaneous Application was filed by Union of India stating that facts on which CBI Report is based are not correct but Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General withdrew the application to pursue other remedies available in law.

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