In a temporary relief to both, a Division Bench led by Justice T S Thakur granted interim stay to ED proceedings until the verdict is pronounced by the court on Singh’s petition.

A single Bench of the High Court had on July 5 rejected the claims of the father-son duo for release of 83 documents compiled by Special Envoy to the US Virendra Dayal and now in the possession of the ED.

Dismissing their plea for access, Justice B D Ahamed had expressed his inability to grant their request on the ground that there was no prevalent law in the country which compels the prosecution to reveal all documentary evidence to the accused.

The court’s observations had come after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P P Malhotra had contended before it that the Singhs were not entitled to documents irrelevant to the specific allegations against them.

The ASG had submitted that the entire ongoing probe would be put to jeopardy if the duo stumbled on documents, which may deal with “other persons” currently under the ED scanner.

On the other hand, Arvind Nigam, counsel for Natwar Singh, had countered that denial of documents by the ED was violative of the fundamental rights of the Singhs for a fair trial, specially when the Justice R S Pathak Inquiry Committee report on the scam had exonerated them of any financial or other misdemeanors.

Meanwhile, senior ED officials denied that there was a stay in proceedings against the Singhs and said the investigation would continue to progress.