The Sahara-Birla diaries are distinct from the Jain Hawala diary, said advocate Prashant Bhushan in a fresh affidavit filed ahead of the hearing on his PIl seeking court-monitored probe into the startling disclosures of bribes paid by corporate houses to high profile persons in the country.
The apex court, while dealing with Bhushan’s PIl, had on an earlier occasion said that the Sahara-Birla diaries cannot be accepted as evidence unless there was any additional material to substantiate the charges of bribe.
Bhushan in his affidavit said, “Unlike Jain Hawala case, the case of Sahara stands on a much better footing because here there is a seizure of about Rs 137 crore in cash.” Moreover, the affidavit added, this was a more fitting case to investigate as raids were conducted at Sahara and Birla offices by CBI, followed by assessment by Income tax department substantiating the cash seized to be unaccounted.