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Journalism of Courage
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed an investigation team to access the original visitors’ diary at ex-CBI director Ranjit Sinha’s residence. The team is probing if Sinha’s meetings with some accused in the coal block allocation scheme cases impacted the investigation.
“The visitors’ log book, which is lying in sealed cover with another bench hearing 2G cases, be given to the panel headed by former special director CBI M L Sharma, who will have to share the contents with other probe team members only, and file a report in the court within 12 weeks,” said a bench led by Justice M B Lokur.
The bench, also comprising Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice A K Sikri, further said that the stipulated 12 weeks’ time, granted to the court-appointed panel, would begin from the day it receives the documents.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the former CBI director, maintained that the alleged meetings alone cannot be termed objectionable per se since the real test would be whether those meetings led to favours to an accused or other persons in the case.
In May, the court had censured Sinha for his “completely inappropriate” meetings with coal scam accused in the absence of investigating officers, saying that “further inquiry is necessary” to ascertain the fairness and impact of his conduct in the probe.
“Let him (Sharma) make a request. We are not saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ at the moment. In any case, he cannot sit in judgment on
the decisions of the CVC,” the court said.
Initially, it was said that the panel will have access of all requisite documents, Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Common Cause, said.
“At the moment, he (Sharma) does not have the (visitors) register, the primary document,” the bench said.-With PTI
