Coalgate: You should have esplained everything, says Supreme Court to Vahanvati

NEW DELHI: Attorney General G E Vahanvati, against whom a plea seeking prosecution for perjury was moved for allegedly making false statements, should have told everything on sharing and alteration of draft status reports in the Coalgate probe, the Supreme Court noted today.

"You may not have been wrong but at the same time you should have explained everything," a three judge bench headed by Justice R M Lodha said.

Vahanvati has been under fire after the CBI Director and former ASG Harin Raval had belied his assertions that he had not seen the CBI report.

"I have been defamed, attacked and a lot of things have been said about me. I have to point out that till September 2012, I was not in the matter. I came only in November and asked for the time to file the affidavit. I had said that I had not seen the draft status report," the AG said.

Vahanvati told the bench that he had never called for any copy of the draft status report and moreover, the meeting was convened at the request of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.

"During the meeting also, I did not have the copy of the draft status report. I never called for any copy. I do not see the probe reports. I am not political executive.

"Even in the provident fund scam involving judges, I didn't see the CBI status report. So was the case in the Mayawati's case, I didn't see any of the status report. I don't want to see any status report," he said.