SC declines plea for CBI or SIT probe into Karnataka honey-trap scandal
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged honey-trapping of legislators, public servants, and judges in Karnataka.
A three-judge bench, led by Justice Vikram Nath and comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta, dismissed the plea filed by author Binay Kumar Singh, stating that there was no merit in the case.
"Sorry. We are not passing any order," the bench said.
The PIL, filed on Monday, sought a direction for an independent investigation into allegations that a senior minister and 48 others, including legislators, political leaders, and judges, were targeted in a honey-trap scandal.
Appearing for Singh, lawyer Varun Kumar Sinha argued that the matter was highly sensitive and warranted a court-monitored probe by the CBI or SIT. However, the court declined to intervene.
The issue was raised in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly by State Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna, who claimed that he had been the target of a honey-trapping attempt. He further alleged that a gang had targeted 47 other individuals across party lines, including judges.
The petition, filed through Sinha, urged the court to direct an investigation by an independent agency, comprising officers of integrity who are not under the control or influence of the Karnataka government, with the findings to be submitted to the apex court.
Singh also sought the formation of a monitoring committee, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, to oversee the investigation and examine the role of all individuals who directly or indirectly benefitted from the scandal.
The petitioner highlighted that the allegations, made on the floor of the Karnataka Vidhan Soudha, included claims that a person aspiring to be the Chief Minister had successfully honey-trapped several individuals, including judges.
"The allegations have been made by a sitting minister who has claimed himself to be a victim, thereby lending credibility to the serious allegations. Not only that, another minister of the government has not only echoed the allegations made by the first minister but has also alleged that the scale and proportion of the scandal are at least ten times larger than what is currently visible," the plea stated.
Singh argued that judges being compromised through honey-trapping posed a serious threat to judicial independence and could gravely undermine public confidence in the institution.
"Much murmurings have already been caused by multiple media reports and social media. In this backdrop, it is imperative that this court steps in to salvage the reputation and public confidence in the judicial system of the country," the plea read.
The Supreme Court, however, declined to pass any order on the matter.