Fodder scam: HC tells CBI to hold regular trials

The director was present following summons pertaining to a civil writ jurisdiction case filed in 2001. ‘‘The CBI will feed inputs to the judges so that the cases are disposed of as per the law,’’ observed the division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Mukhopadhaya and Justice NN Tiwari.

There are 53 fodder scam cases in which the CBI had filed chargesheets. While 12 of the cases ended in conviction of most of the accused, 41 cases, including six disproportionate assets cases and conspiracy angle cases have not been disposed of by the court till date, 11 years after the multi-crore rupees scam surfaced in 1995.

This was the concern expressed by the petitioner who sought the intervention of the court to hold the trial of the accused expeditiously.

Responding to the petition, the bench had served notice on the prosecuting agency and while hearing the counsels of the petitioner and the respondent, pulled up the CBI several times in the past five years.

For instance, on May 12, the bench had said: ‘‘It appears that both the CBI and the accused are trying to unnecessarily delay the process of trial. This is evident from the prosecuting agency’s affidavit. It wants two-three years more to fold up the cases.’’ The bench had on the same day ordered the CBI director to appear before it on May 18.

‘‘We promise you, we will come upto your expectations. I take the entire responsibility for whatever has happened,’’ Shankar submitted today.

When Justice Mukhopadhaya asked him to point out the percentage of the CBI’s cases filed and disposed of since its inception, the CBI director replied that it was around ‘‘50 per cent’’.

‘‘50 per cent disposal takes place in 40 years,’’ quipped Justice Mukhopadhya. Minutes later, the director submitted that henceforth, the trial will be monitored on a daily basis by a director-rank officer.