Chhattisgarh NAN scam case to be heard by 3-judge bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud

The plea filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking transfer of trial relating to the Nagrik Apurti Nigam scam (NAN scam) from Chhattisgarh to any other State, will be heard by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud..The CJI himself told the same in court today. The bench, besides the CJI, will also comprise of Justices Ajay Rastogi and S Ravindra Bhat who were part of the earlier bench hearing the matter. The matter was earlier listed before Justice MR Shah but the parties had raised objection to the same. The case was previsouly being heard by then Chief Justice of India UU Lalit and Justices Ajay Rastogi and S Ravindra Bhat.After the retirement of CJI Lalit, the matter came to be listed before a bench headed by Justice MR Shah. The Chhattisgarh government objected to Justice Shah hearing the matter, and said that the case should be listed before Justices Ajay Rastogi and S Ravindra Bhat who were members of earlier bench. .During the hearing today, the CJI Chandrachud explained how the came to be listed before Justice Shah and said that it will now be heard by him and Justices Bhat and Rastogi."I will speak to both my brothers to see how the bench can be rejigged for them," the CJI said..The multi-crore Public Distribution System scam from Chhattisgarh known as NAN scam came to light in 2015 when Economic Offences Investigation (EOI) and Anti-corruption Bureau, Raipur, Chhattisgarh conducted raids on February 12, 2015 in different district offices and residents of the officers of Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation and Chhattisgarh State Warehousing Corporation including its headquarters at Raipur and had registered a case against the officers of the corporation.Those involved have been accused of supplying low quality rice, grams, salt etc.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a money laundering case in connection with the scam against two IAS officers.It then moved the present plea seeking transfer of trial from Chhattisgarh alleging that a senior functionary of the government has been trying to weaken the predicate offence against the accused.The ED in its counter affidavit had alleged that the accused persons were in touch with a Chhattisgarh High Court judge through Constitutional functionaries who were helping the accused.During one of the earlier hearings, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said that WhatsApp chats revealed connivance between accused IAS officers and those holding Constitutional posts."These highly placed officers in connivance with authorities in constitutional posts took advantage. I have not mentioned names. But I have WhatsApp chats. We have not revealed names so that faith of people is not shaken upon system," Mehta had said.Mehta had also alleged that the Chief Minister had met a Chhattisgarh High Court judge.Senior Counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for the State, had vehemently denied the claim of the ED that the Chief Minister of the State had met a Chhattisgarh High Court judge in connection with the scam."We took instructions. The Chief Minister never met any High Court judge," Sibal had contended during one of the earlier hearings.