CBI tells SC it is ready to probe Sadhick Batcha’s death

The Bench asked Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising to take instructions from the Centre and inform it about the issuance of a notification for transferring the case to the CBI by April 4.

The CBI also informed the court that senior advocate U U Lalit will be appointed as special public prosecutor for the trial in the 2G spectrum allocation case before a special court exclusively set up for the purpose.

The court asked the law officer to take instructions and inform it by Tuesday on the notification on appointment of the special public prosecutor.

The apex court had earlier sought the CBI’s response to a plea for transferring to it the probe into Batcha’s death in Chennai early last month.

The court had sought the agency’s reply on the plea by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) on whose petition the court had ordered a CBI to probe in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Batcha too had faced the CBI four times since December last year when the agency had conducted searches at his official and residential premises.

38-year-old Batcha was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his home in South Chennai on March 16 and his wife had claimed he committed suicide as he was “unable to cope with the pressure” of the probe.

Batcha was the managing director of Green House Promoters,which the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate suspect was a front for Raja.

On the appointment of a special public prosecutor,the CBI had said on Tuesday it was facing difficulty in finding a capable lawyer as corporates and their officers likely to be named in the case have already hired all top lawyers to defend them.

However,Veugopal today told the Bench that senior advocate U U Lalit,who was earlier reluctant at being appointed the special public prosecutor,had agreed to take up the job in “public interest”.

Venugopal said the CBI preferred Lalit for the job as he has tremendous experience in criminal law and is the most appropriate person at the moment to head the team of prosecutors in the case.