Sahara-Birla Papers

The Sahara-Birla Papers are computer printouts and diaries with purported details on money paid by Sahara Group and Aditya Birla Group to some of the ministers and judges in India.[1]

Raids

During its raids in 2013 and 2014, the CBI seized some diaries from two big Indian companies, Sahara Group and Aditya Birla Group. These diaries contained references of alleged payments made to leaders belonging to as many as 18 political parties including BJP, Congress, JDU, BJD etc.[2][1]

Alleged references to Modi

Among the recovered content were some entries mentioning "Gujarat CM" and "Ahmadabad Modiji".[3][4][1] Citing these entries, on 21 December 2016, the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Modi received cash bribes worth ₹65 crore (US$7.8 million) from Sahara Group and Aditya Birla Group when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.[5][6]

Other leaders named

Various leaders were named in Sahara-Birla Papers :

Supreme Court petition

In November 2016, advocate Prashant Bhushan filed a plea in the Supreme Court of India asking for investigation of the alleged bribe payments made to some senior public servants including Modi.[8][9] On 25 November 2016, a Supreme Court bench of Justice JS Khehar and Justice Arun Kumar Mishra refused to order probe into the case stating that the material cited doesn't arouse its conscience.[10] In next hearing on 11 January 2017, the new bench consisting the Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Amitava Roy dismissed the plea stating that the evidence provided was insufficient.[11][12][13]

Reactions to dismissal

Later on, Justice Mishra was criticised by a section of advocates and activists for siding with the Modi government in multiple judgements during his tenure at the Supreme Court.[14][15] The Economic and Political Weekly stated that the Supreme Court ruling had deadly implications and the case had rewritten a 145-year-old law.[16] The Wire questioned the manner in which the Supreme Court buried the Sahara-Birla diaries' investigation.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "All You Need To Know About The Sahara-Birla Papers". Newslaundry. 23 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Details in the Birla, Sahara Papers Reveal Why the Government Is Avoiding Inquiry". The Wire. 23 December 2016.
  3. ^ Simha, Vijay (4 March 2017). "The Zero Case: Deadly Implications of the Birla-Sahara Judgment". Economic and Political Weekly. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Did Modi receive over ₹55 crore from the Sahara Group as the chief minister of Gujarat?". Economic and Political Weekly. 19 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Modi took bribes from Sahara, Birla: Rahul". The Hindu. 21 December 2016. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Sahara-Birla: Rahul Gandhi accuses Narendra Modi of taking cash payments". Zee Business. 21 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Birla-Sahara case: Only an investigation can settle the unanswered questions". Scroll. 17 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Sahara Birla Diaries: Supreme Court To Hear Prashant Bhushan's Plea Today". NDTV. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Watch: Prashant Bhushan Explains the Sahara-Birla Diaries". The Wire. 24 November 2016. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  10. ^ "SC refuses to order probe into 'Sahara-Birla papers'". The Hindu. 25 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Supreme Court rejects probe into Sahara-Birla papers". TOI. 11 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking probe against Narendra Modi, others". Mint. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Sahara-Birla Diaries Case: SC throws out case alleging Modi took cash payments". Business Today. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Justice Arun Mishra's Six Most Controversial Cases in the SC". Mint. 4 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Controversial judge who praised Modi appointed to lead Human Rights Commission in India". The Independent. 3 June 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  16. ^ "The Zero Case: Deadly Implications of the Birla-Sahara Judgment". Econimical & Political Weekly. 4 March 2017.
  17. ^ "Five Questions We Have to Ask Before the Birla-Sahara Payoff Case is Buried Forever". The Wire. 11 April 2017. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.