Govt free to probe ED officer Rajeshwar Singh: Apex court

New Delhi: No officer should be under a "cloud", the Supreme Court said on Wednesday, maintaining that the Centre was free to look into the "serious" charges against ED officer Rajeshwar Singh, probing the "highly sensitive" 2G spectrum allocation scam cases including the Aircel-Maxis deal.

A vacation bench of justices Arun Mishra and S K Kaul, which was of the view that the allegations levelled against Singh were serious and required to be looked into, said it would be the government's call whether he will have any role to play in the further probe in the Aircel-Maxis case being investigated by him.

The apex court also modified its interim order granting protection to Singh against inquiry and referred to the Centre's affidavit which stated that it does not intend to protect anybody in the case.