Supreme Court halts Allahabad HC proceedings in Rahul Gandhi assets case

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Allahabad High Court not to proceed with a disproportionate assets case against Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The top court also restrained the CBI and Enforcement Directorate from filing any report related to the matter until further orders.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to the complainant, S Vignesh Shishir, and the probe agencies. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Gandhi, called the proceedings a "witch-hunt process" and questioned Shishir's locus to approach the high court, India Today reported.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju said the CBI and ED had no role so far, according to the New Indian Express. Justice Bagchi asked why the agencies had not acted on their own if the allegations were serious. The high court had fixed August 20 for the next hearing, which the Supreme Court has now deferred. The case is at a pre-FIR stage, Shishir argued.