Illicit money: govt may seek review of SC order for SIT

The union government, far from pleased with the Supreme Court's order on 4 July appointing a special investigation team to take over the probe into illicit cash stashed abroad, is likely to seek a review of the ruling. (See: SC orders SIT probe into illicit money stashed abroad) 

After a string of meetings between the prime minister, finance and law ministries over the past two days, a view is emerging that the government should exercise the option of telling the top court that it has some reservations on the judgment.

Both the government's top law officers - attorney general G E Vahanvati and solicitor general Gopal Subramanium - have advised the government to "seek relevant clarifications on the judgment".

"We're discussing the matter. It is not a question of review, but some sort of an intervention, but no final decision has been taken," said law minister M Veerappa Moily on Friday.

The government is reportedly not happy with some of the observations made by the court.

Comments by the apex bench such as "This indicates a degree of failure of the state… investigations into the unaccounted monies case have proceeded at a laggard pace and even individuals named were not questioned with any seriousness" have particularly stung the government.

While seeking a review of the order, the government is likely to plead that the high-level committee set up by it in April has not had adequate time and opportunity to proceed, and it should be granted a chance to do so.