'Will Try To Settle It': Complainant In Corruption Case Against Former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat Informs Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday(November 22) adjourned the plea moved by the former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat challenging the High Court order which had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into corruption allegations against him.The Uttarakhand High Court order had directed the CBI to file an FIR and investigate the allegations of corruption levelled against Rawat by an investigative journalist, Umesh Sharma. The former CM was accused of getting money transferred to his relatives' bank account for backing a candidate in Gau Seva Ayog when he was BJP's Jharkhand in-charge. On Tuesday, a Division Bench of Justices MR Shah and MM Sundresh was informed that efforts are being be made to close the (main) litigation. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Journalist Sharma (Respondent 1) made the disclosure. "Nobody wants to prosecute anybody. Not the current CM, anyone. We will try to settle it.""We are for the former CM, He was not a party in the writ petition. Allegations were there against him and the (High Court) order was passed", the counsel appearing for Rawat said. "If it's possible, we will not press. There are lots of facts here which are serious issues. But I don't want to go into all that", Sibal said. The Bench, on a lighter note, asked, "Some equations have changed?""That's the law of life", an advocate replied. "He's no longer the Chief Minister", Sibal said as one of the reasons for him not pressing charges. He then requested the Bench to take up the matter after vacation. "Even my SLP can be allowed", the advocate for the former CM said. "You already have a stay in your favour", the Bench pointed out. The Supreme Court, in 2020, had stayed the Uttarakhand High Court judgement. "HC has exercised suo motu powers under Article 226 when there was no issue raised by you, everyone was taken by surprise…The CM was not even a party and such a drastic order has been passed", the Top Court Bench had orally observed during that hearing before passing the order. "What he is saying is let the entire bargain be together", the Bench quipped as the hearing drew to a close. The case will be next considered on January 4, 2023.Case Title: Trivendra Singh Rawat Versus Umesh Kumar Sharma And Ors | Slp(Crl) No. 5329-5331/2020 Ii-BClick Here To Read/Download Order

'Will Try To Settle It': Complainant In Corruption Case Against Former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat Informs Supreme Court

Rintu Mariam Biju

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