Disclose names of all black money holders having funds abroad by Wednesday (today), the Supreme Court told the Centre on Tuesday, stating that a new regime cannot seek modification of the earlier order and decide on its own not to reveal all the names.
The SC rejected the Centre's argument that it would reveal only those names against whom the Income-Tax department has got evidence and directed the government to place all information, which Indian authorities have received from foreign countries, before it.
"We want names which have been supplied to you by banks from Germany, France, Switzerland and other countries," a bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said.
"If you are not protecting anybody, why are you bothered? Why are you trying to take the protective umbrella for these people?" the bench said after attorney general Mukul Rohtagi submitted that all accounts in foreign banks per se are not illegal. If after any account is found to be genuine, then the fundamental rights of the account holder and treaty conditions with the foreign country will be infringed.
The seniormost law officer told the bench that government has no intention to withhold information and said he will submit the details in a sealed cover. The Centre had a tough time to convince the court to modify its previous order on disclosing names if those who have stashed away black money in foreign banks.
Rohtagi argued that it received about 500 names of account holders from different countries like Germany and the government will have to give certificates to those countries after receiving information on black money.
"To get get information from foreign countries, we have to give certificate. Germany had objected to our disclosure earlier," he submitted. The bench made it very clear that the I-T department
need not probe the accounts after obtaining the information. "Let the court pass an order for a probe into it by an agency, including CBI," it said.
The court repeatedly asked the government to give details to the court or the Special Investigating Team (SIT), set up by it to monitor the probe.
On Monday, the government had submitted three names -- obtained from France and Germany – to the court.
They included Pradip Burman, one of the Dabur India promoters, Rajkot-based bullion trader Pankaj Chimanlal Lodhiya and Goa-based mining company Timblo Private Ltd and its five directors.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley said that the government will provide the list to the court.
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