SC to CBI: When will you take over entire Vyapam scam cases? 25-07-2015
NEW DELHI: The Supreme
Court on Friday asked the CBI to inform it within a week the specific time
frame by which it will “take over” entire investigation into the Vyapam scam
cases so that the issue of monitoring can be decided.
“We want to know by
what time you (CBI) will take over the investigation which is in the hands of
SIT/STF of Madhya Pradesh and we have to take a decision that should we monitor
or ask somebody else to monitor and what aspect is needed to be monitored,” a bench
headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu said while posting the matter for July 31.
CBI wants at least 200
men to probe Vyapam scam
The bench, also
comprising justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, wanted to know from additional
solicitor general Maninder Singh as to when the counsel will be appointed to
represent the CBI.
Senior advocate L
Nageshwar Rao, appearing for the Madhya Pradesh government, said there will be
need for more than one counsel to represent the CBI in view of the large number
of cases arising from the scam.
The ASG said he would
be in the position to answer all the questions of the bench by next Friday.
Senior advocates Kapil
Sibal and Vivek Tankha, appearing for Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who has
sought apex court-monitored CBI probe into the cases, submitted that an amicus
curiae be appointed to assist the court in the matter.
The bench said all
these aspects can be considered after receiving the response of the CBI.
It also tagged the
petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas who has also sought
court monitored CBI probe and inclusion of whistle blower into the team of
investigators.
The apex court on July
9 had ordered transfer of probe into all Vyapam scam cases and the deaths
allegedly linked to it to CBI and sought response from Madhya Pradesh
government on why an FIR should not be lodged against the governor for his
purported involvement in the scandal.
Issuing notices to the
Centre, Madhya Pradesh government and Governor Ram Naresh Yadav on the plea
seeking his removal from gubernatorial post, the apex court transferred the
probe of all cases and alleged deaths connected to it from the Special Investigation
Team (SIT) and the Special Task Force (STF) to the CBI after the Shivraj Singh
Chouhan government ‘acceded’ to the demand. |