SC to hear Karti's plea for review of PMLA verdict

New Delhi, August 24

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to grant an open court hearing to Congress MP Karti Chidambaram’s petition seeking a review of its recent verdict upholding the validity of various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that gave wider powers of arrest and seizure to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

“The application for oral hearing is allowed,” a three-judge Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice CT Ravikumar said, posting the matter for an open court hearing on August 25. CJI Ramana is due to retire on August 26.

Review petitions are generally heard “in chamber” — and not in an open court — by a procedure called “hearing by circulation” where advocates representing the parties are not allowed to argue. But in exceptional cases, the court allows an open court hearing if convinced about its need. While Wednesday’s hearing of the review petition was “by circulation”, it will be heard in an open court on Thursday.

A three-judge Bench of Justice AM Khanwilkar (since retired), Justice Maheshwari and Justice Ravikumar had on July 27 upheld the validity of several stringent provisions of the PMLA which gave wider powers to the ED and made it difficult for the accused to obtain bail. It had said supply of Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under PMLA proceedings was not mandatory as it was an internal document that could not be equated with an FIR.

Reserves order on plea over hate speech

The SC reserved its order on a petition challenging an Allahabad High Court order upholding denial of sanction to prosecute Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a case accusing him of making a hate speech in 2007