The Apex Court ordered that there must be a thorough probe into a major financial fraud scandal involving the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group and its associated firms. According to the report submitted by the CBI, the loss caused is said to amount to around ₹27,337 crore in the seven total cases.
The matter has been fixed up for a hearing in July. On Friday, a bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Jaymalya Bagchi heard a public interest litigation filed by retired bureaucrat EAS Sharma, demanding a judicial inquiry into the fraudulent loans worth ₹40,000 crore obtained by Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) firms.
The CBI informed the Supreme Court that nine FIRs have been registered, charge sheets filed in two of them, and investigations are ongoing in seven cases.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, said it was strange that both the CBI and the ED stated that this was a Rs 27,000 crore scam and that Anil Ambani was the “main accused,” yet he had not been arrested.
Bhushan said, “Everywhere the CBI and the ED are saying that Anil Ambani is the main accused in this Rs 27,000 crore scam. Yet, neither the CBI nor the ED is willing to arrest him, as if he were a sacred cow.”
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The bench observed that the Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that it would be extremely hesitant to order an arrest unless the investigating agency desires it.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Anil Ambani, said that Anil Ambani is cooperating with the investigation in every way. But their sole agenda is to arrest Anil Ambani. While Bhushan clarified that the petitioner did not want anyone to be harassed, the bench said it did not want to prejudice any party. However, the case required a thorough investigation, and the investigating agencies should conduct it in a timely manner to maintain public confidence.
