SC refuses to fix timeframe for probe

The Supreme Court Friday asked the Centre to “expeditiously” decide a lawyer’s representation, seeking to have a time-limit for ordering probe under the Protection of Whistleblower’s Act, 2011. The Act has come into force from May this year.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India R M Lodha asked lawyer N Rajaraman to first approach the government with his request to incorporate changes in the new law, meant for protecting whistleblowers.

Rajaraman has sought stipulating a time-limit in Section 5 of the Act so that there was no delay in initiating a “discreet probe” into the complaints by whistleblowers for ascertaining the basis to proceed further to investigate the disclosure.

The petition has cited the case of Sunanda Pushkar’s death where he alleged probe was delayed. As per the petition, there was an inordinate delay in the investigation.