NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday expressed concerns over the maintainability of a petition seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation into alleged quid pro quo and corruption linked to donations made through electoral bonds to political parties.
A division bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela pointed out that the transactions in question were carried out under an Act of Parliament, and thus, the petition’s assumption of corruption could not be presumed without concrete evidence.
Filed by activist Sudip Narayan Tamankar, the plea alleged that donations through EB facilitated illicit arrangements between corporate entities and political parties, creating an “opaque veil” over electoral funding. Tamankar sought an investigation after publicly available data, following a Supreme Court order, indicated potential instances of bribery and corruption through these bonds.
The court referenced a prior Supreme Court ruling which had dismissed a similar plea by Tamankar, stating that individual grievances should be pursued through remedies available under the law.
“If the Supreme Court believes these claims are based on assumptions, how can we refer such allegations to the CBI?” remarked Chief Justice Manmohan. The bench also emphasised that a CBI investigation should only be ordered in rare and compelling cases, not routinely, it said.
Tamankar’s counsel, Advocate Pranav Sachdeva, was asked to file a short note on the legal point of the petition’s maintainability. The court reiterated that Tamankar should explore other legal avenues, including filing a complaint under Section 156(3) of the CrPC, which could involve local police investigation.
The case has been scheduled for further hearing on October 29. Tamankar argued that substantial donations through electoral bonds from corporations under regulatory scrutiny, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department, warrant a deeper investigation.
The petitioner claims that over Rs 581 cr worth of bonds were purchased by loss-making companies, with Rs 434 cr allegedly directed to the ruling party, yet no action has been taken by investigative agencies.
HC upholds suspension of Indian Golf official for misconduct
The Delhi High Court has upheld the suspension of Sundeep Verma, a senior member of the Indian Golf Union (IGU), following allegations of serious misconduct at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Verma is accused of illegally entering the Olympic Village by using another athlete’s pass and attending the opening ceremony after obtaining a uniform from a golfer’s relative. A division bench of Justices Yashwant Varma and Ravinder Dudeja ruled that the suspension should remain in place, citing the potential harm Verma’s actions could have caused to India’s Olympic participation. The court noted that the alleged misconduct could have jeopardized the entire Indian contingent’s involvement in the Games.