Court pulls up CBI over prosecution sanction

In November 2012, Goel was charged by a special court after it took cognizance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI in July 2012

In November 2012, Goel was charged by a special court after it took cognizance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI in July 2012.

Observing that the accused “should not have been put to trial” as the sanction granted by the competent authority was “not legal and proper”, the special CBI court has discharged a chief manager of State Bank of India (SBI) facing trial in a disproportionate assets case.

Special Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna discharged Trilok Nath Goel, Chief Manager (Sales), accused of possessing assets to the tune of Rs 40 lakh disproportionate to his known sources of income. The judge observed that there was no “validity” or “sanctity” to the sanction granted by the competent authority as the “same is violative of basic principles and ratios of law laid down by various judgments of the Supreme Court”.

In November 2012, Goel was charged by a special court after it took cognizance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI in July 2012.

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During the trial, when Goel’s statement was recorded, where in all the alleged incriminating evidence was read over, Goel submitted that the sanction accorded by B Sriram, Chief General Manager of SBI was “invalid and bad in law”.

Goel argued that in May 2012, the competent authority had declined according of sanction at the first instance. It was only in June 2012, without any fresh material being produced, that the sanction was granted.

The court observed, “According to Sriram and the sanction order, the earlier view declining the sanction for prosecution was a tentative view…On examining the facts and circumstances of the case… I am of the opinion that sanctioning authority had no discretion to revisit his earlier opinion and there was no valid reason for change of opinion while granting sanction.”

Kaunain Sheriff M

As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations. Areas of Expertise Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety. Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps. Global Collaborations Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects: The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry. Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time. Awards & Recognition His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors: Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia) Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club) Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots). Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision. Social media LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99 X ( fromerly Twitter): @kaunain_s ... Read More

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