Black money probe: Government's list has no new details, says SIT chief MB Shah
New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday placed a list of names of 627 Indian account holders in HSBC bank, Geneva in black money case before the Supreme Court which asked SIT to go through the list and take appropriate action in accordance with law.
Speaking to a television news channel, the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, Justice MB Shah, said that there was no new detail in the report that had been submitted by the government. "I don't think there is anything significant in the report. The list is the same as before. It was known to us. We have to question the people in the list," said Shah.
"We have already filed the first report (on blackmoney) in August. Certainly I am hopeful about it (timely submission of second report)," he said.
Read: Black money list: 627 names in Supreme Court, March 2015 initial deadline for probe
On a day the Attorney General submitted a list of 627 names having accounts in HSBC bank, Geneva, to the apex court, Shah said that the list was already known to the team. "Investigation is going on. Without investigation it is very difficult to say that a person is guilty or that person has done something wrong. A person is required to be heard first," he said.
Shah, a retired Supreme Court judge, said investigation in these cases is not easy. "It is not easy because when a department also issues a notice, it takes time. Concerned parties and assessees replies take time," the SIT chief said.
Shah denied that government's probe in blackmoney case is an eyewash. "It is not eyewash. Nothing is eyewash. Nothing can be said to be eye wash. On the contrary we got some results also," he said.
Read: Black money list: Centre names Dabur’s Pradip Burman, 2 others in affidavit to Supreme Court
A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu did not open the sealed envelope containing the names placed by the Centre and said that it would be opened only by Chairman and the Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT).
