The Supreme Court will take up on Friday a PIL seeking probe into the allegations of account fraud against the Adani group by US short-seller Hindenburg Research.

The PIL seeks a direction to the Centre to constitute a committee monitored by a retired apex court judge to inquire and investigate into the Hindenburg report.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari, who has filed the petition, mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Thursday.

Tiwari told the bench, also comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala, that a separate plea is listed for hearing on Friday.

“A similar petition is coming up tomorrow,” he said, adding, “this pertains to the Hindenburg Research report which (according to the second PIL) has tarnished the image of the country and caused loss.” He urged the bench that his plea be heard on Friday along with the separate plea.

“All right. Tag it,” the CJI said.

In his public interest litigation (PIL), Tiwari has also sought directions to set up a special committee to oversee the sanction policy for loans of over Rs 500 crore given to big corporates.

In his plea, Tiwari has said the petition depicts the “drastic condition and fate of people” when there is a situation of share fall in the securities market due to various reasons.

“Lots of people, who had their whole lifetime saving in such stocks, get a maximum setback due to fall in such shares with a huge amount of money going into the drain,” the PIL submitted.

“In the aftermath of an unprecedented attack on billionaire Gautam Adani’s vast empire by Hindenburg, the market value of all 10 Adani stocks have halved with investors sitting with a colossal loss...,” the plea filed by Tiwari submitted.

“It is ultimately the public money for which the respondents (Centre and others) are answerable and there needs to be strict concern for mitigating of such loans with a clear process and sanction policy for such high stake loan amount,” it said.

The plea made the Centre and others, including the Reserve Bank of India and the Securities and Exchange Board of India, as respondents.

SC hearing

■ PIL hearing on Friday

■ Demand for a panel under a retired SC judge to investigate the Hindenburg report

■ Special panel must oversee loans in excess of Rs 500 crore

■ Centre, RBI, Sebi made party to PIL

Firm denies GST lapses

Mumbai: The officials of the GST department of the Himachal Pradesh government visited the Adani Wilmar plant last evening to carry out certain investigations amid reports of irregularities in input credit claims.

The Himachal Pradesh excise and taxation department officials reportedly scrutinised Adani Wilmar’s records and checked the stock at the company’s warehouse.

A PTI report quoting department officials said it was apparently investigating possible GST violations by the company, a joint venture with Singapore-based Wilmar.

The report said it was a “routine” exercise.

Adani Wilmar said that GST officials who visited its warehouse did not come across any irregularities.

“The officials did not find any irregularities in the operations and dealings conducted by the company. We would like to clarify that the concerns specific to GST payments in cash, citing GST law under Rule 86B, the company is not required to pay tax liability in cash...We would like to emphasise that this was a routine inspection carried out by the relevant authorities and there was no raid as previously stated or reported in the media,’’ the company said.

OUR BUREAU