In a major setback to the LML Group,the Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to go ahead with the investigations into the alleged Fema (Foreign Exchange Management Act) violations committed by the members of the Singhania Group that runs the Kanpur-based firm. A Bench headed by justice MK Sharma,while setting aside the Allahabad High Court's interim order that stayed the probe,asked the high court chief justice to reconsider the case without being influenced by its orders. .we are not concerned with allegations and counter-allegations made as the writ petition is pending before the high court. we set aside the interim order.We cannot appreciate the way in which the matter was taken up ad and pass interim order which amount to allowing the petition.We request the CJI of the HC to take up the matter by himself or appropriate Bench that he may consider appropriate and decide the case expeditiously within six weeks.: the judges stated. It also noted the submissions made by Attorney General GE Vahanvati that the probe will be completed within six months. The high court in its June 9 interim order,while calling the EDs investigation wholly without jurisdiction and contrary to the mandate of Fema,had stayed the investigations and had also stayed the directorate's order summoning LML director Anurag Singhania on May 25 last year. However,the apex court came down heavily on the Centre for taking so long to complete the probe initiated in 2007.
