The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family members, including his son Akhilesh Singh, member of Parliament, to file details of their income tax returns from 2001 to 2006 for the court to examine.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and C K Thakker issued the directions during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Congress worker Viswanath Chaturvedi alleging that Yadav and his family had amassed assets worth over Rs 100 crore through corrupt means, misusing their official status.
The court also directed that the proceedings, initiated by the IT department against the respondents under the Income Tax Act, be continued without being influenced by the court proceedings or the fact that the court has asked for certain details.
The court also indicated that it may ask for details to ascertain the credentials of the petitioner at a later stage.
The Samajwadi Party chief in his counter has, however, dismissed the allegations as politically-motivated and has questioned the locus standi of the petitioner on the grounds that he was not an aggrieved party.
The court adjourned the hearing till July 17.
Earlier, senior counsel P N Lekhi contended before the court that the UP chief minister and his MP son, along wth other family members, had acquired huge immovable property in the state through corrupt means and were liable to be prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The petitioner has also demanded a CBI inquiry into the assets and wealth acquired by Yadav and his family from 1999 onwards.
Senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the UP chief minister, however, refuted all the allegations, saying Chaturdedi was an active Congress worker and the sole aim of the petition was to malign Yadav and damage his political reputation.
"All the allegations made in the petition are bogus and malafide and without any merit," he said.