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SC rejects plea for probe against PM Modi in Sahara-Birla diary case

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan seeking a Special Investigation Team to probe politically sensitive Sahara-Birla diary case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a plea seeking a probe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other political leaders in Sahara-Birla diary case, saying there were not enough evidences to order for an inquiry.

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan seeking a Special Investigation Team to probe politically sensitive Sahara-Birla diary case.

“There are not enough evidences to order for an inquiry,” the SC said while pronouncing its order.

SC dismisses petition filed by NGO seeking probe into the IT raids on Sahara and Birla in which certain politicians name came up.

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 11, 2017

Supreme court says that there are not enough evidences to order for an inquiry

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 11, 2017

Earlier, Bhushan in his plea wanted a court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team into the alleged bribes paid to politicians, whose names appeared in diaries seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax department.

The “Sahara diaries” — a collection of papers and computer print-outs found in raids on the Sahara offices in 2014 — reportedly carried names of politicians from different parties, along with amounts paid to them as bribes. The list includes the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while he was Gujarat Chief Minister and Congress leader Sheila Dikshit.

The matter grabbed the limelight after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, during the notes ban controversy last month, used the diaries to allege personal corruption of the PM while he was Gujarat chief minister and put out the papers in the public domain.

More details are awaited.