Supreme Court halts judgement in Chandigarh’s toilet scam case
The case stems from a scam in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation that caused a loss of ₹13.66 crore to the exchequer.
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A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal issued the directive while hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Bishwadeep Gupta. Gupta challenged a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that dismissed his plea for altering charges against him and others in the case.
The Supreme Court has directed the CBI trial court in Chandigarh not to pronounce its judgement in the alleged toilet scam case involving the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh.
A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal issued the directive while hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Bishwadeep Gupta. Gupta challenged a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that dismissed his plea for altering charges against him and others in the case.
Gupta and other petitioners had argued before the High Court that they were charged with conspiring with Municipal Corporation officials. However, they pointed out that the charge sheet failed to frame conspiracy charges under Section 120-B of the IPC against the officials themselves. They argued that in the absence of conspiracy charges against the Corporation officials, similar charges against them, as private individuals, were unsustainable.
The High Court dismissed their plea on December 12, 2024, prompting Gupta to file an SLP in the Supreme Court. The apex court, while hearing Gupta’s petition, issued a notice to the CBI and directed the trial court not to deliver its verdict for the time being.
It is noteworthy that the High Court had earlier discharged former superintending engineer of the Municipal Corporation, Ramesh Chander Diwan, from IPC charges. However, Diwan still faces trial under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as per the High Court’s directions.
The case stems from a scam in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation that caused a loss of ₹13.66 crore to the exchequer. The CBI lodged an FIR in December 2014 against three engineers, including Diwan, and an official of Selvel Media Services. They were charged under sections 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The trial court, which was scheduled to proceed with the case, has now adjourned the matter for hearing on March 3, 2025, following the Supreme Court’s directive.
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