'Clearly Motivated': Centre Urges SC To Dismiss Plea Against Extension Of ED Director’s Tenure

Centre alleged that the real motive of the petition was to question the investigation being carried out against the President and certain office bearers of the Congress party.

New Delhi: The Centre has defended its decision to extend the tenure of the director of Enforcement Directorate in the Supreme Court urging the top court to dismiss the plea challenging the decision and saying that the petition is motivated, reported news agency ANI. The central government made its submission on an affidavit filed countering the submission of the petition challenging the extension of the ED director. 

The Centre told the Supreme Court that the petition challenging the decision to extend the ED director’s tenure lacked merit and asked the apex court to dismiss the petition. 

The Centre also informed the top court that the petition was “clearly motivated by an oblique personal interest rather than any public interest litigation,” the report added. 

In its submission, the Centre said that the petition is a misuse of Article 32 of the Constitution, which is clearly being filed in a representative capacity for and on behalf of the President and the office bearers of the Indian National Congress, who are being investigated by ED and are otherwise fully competent to approach respective courts for appropriate statutory relief and remedy under the Code of Criminal Procedure. 

It said the petition has been filed for espousing the cause of her political masters when there is nothing barring the concerned persons who are under investigation from approaching the competent court for any appropriate relief.

Centre submitted that the present Writ Petition, styled as a Public Interest Litigation, was clearly motivated and was admittedly intended to scuttle the legitimate statutory investigation being carried out by the Directorate of Enforcement against certain politically exposed persons. 

It alleged that the real motive of the petition was to question the investigation being carried out against the President and certain office bearers of the Indian National Congress Party. 

"The spectre of corruption at times totally erodes the confidence of people in the systems that are meant to provide them good governance. Effectively tackling corruption is therefore essential for the realisation of economic and social rights of people and for maintaining their faith in institutions and governance," Centre said.