[dropcap]T[/dropcap]HE Supreme Court today issued a notice to the Central Government on an appeal filed by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh against an order of the Delhi High Court dismissing his challenge to the amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by way of money bills.
A two-judge bench of the apex court comprising Justices S A Bobde and B R Gavai asked the Centre to file its reply to Ramesh’s appeal.
Ramesh had contended that amendments to the PMLA were made in violation of the Constitution as they were enacted as money bills that he had come to know about only recently. However, the Delhi High Court bench, led by the then Chief Justice Rajendra Menon, dismissed the petition saying that merely because he (Jairam Ramesh) had come to know recently about the manner in which the amendments were made, it “would not justify the delay” in approaching the court.
A money bill is a piece of legislation which can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject it, but can make recommendations, which may or may not be accepted by the Lower House.
