NEW DELHI: The CBI investigating its own former directors in a corruption case is a “violation of principles of natural justice”, a Delhi court said on Tuesday while pulling up the agency for slow pace of probe.’ The CBI faced wrath after its public prosecutor sought more time for the investigation.
Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal made the observation about the corruption case against controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi, in which the probe agency’s former directors ‘ Ranjit Sinha and AP Singh ‘ are among those under the scanner.
"Four years have passed. In four years, no investigation has been done. How many more years will you take? Seven to ten more years? CBI director is the accused, and the agency is itself investigating the case? I am surprised. This is violation of principal of natural justice," the judge said.
The agency informed the court that four of its recent orders have been challenged before the Delhi High Court. Following the submission, the trial court adjourned the matter for November 24 for further hearing.
The CBI had lodged the case of alleged bribery against Qureshi in 2017. During the investigation in the case the names of Sinha and Singh also came up and their alleged roles are being probed.
Qureshi was accused of collecting money from individuals directly or through Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Sana Babu and using it to influence CBI probes.
The court, during the last few hearings in the case, has pulled up the CBI for lack of progress in the case and had posed a series of questions to the agency. It had also asked the investigating agency to file a status report on the probe.
Besides, it had summoned the Joint Director who is heading the probe against Qureshi, to appear on November 17 but he did not appear before the court.