SC directs CBI to take over all Vyapam cases

By NewsGram Staff Writer

New Delhi: All Vyapam scam cases – involving irregularities in admissions and recruitment in Madhya Pradesh – are to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) irrespective of the stage of their investigations or trial, the Supreme Court directed on Friday.

"We direct the CBI to take over 72 cases which are in different stages, within three weeks," said a bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice C. Nagappan and Justice Amitava Roy.

The apex court also directed the Special Task Force/Special Investigation Team that has been investigating these cases, to extend all co-operation when such a request was made by the CBI.

Noting that the CBI was already processing the appointment of 19 public prosecutors to lead its cases before the trial court, the court asked it to complete the appointment of 48 public prosecutors needed to cover 24 trial courts.

Fixing October 9 as the next date of hearing, the apex court asked the CBI to file a status report on compliance of its orders.

As Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar informed the court of the difficulty the probe agency was facing in getting the required manpower, the court reminded him of the commitment made by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that the agency would take over all the cases including the appointment of public prosecutors.

Appearing for the department of personnel and training, Rohatgi told the court that the investigating agency had 6,000 people and another 900 are being recruited. Police officers ranked as inspectors or sub-inspectors are the main requirement but the difficulty being faced is that people from state police are not inclined to come to CBI.

Appearing for one of the petitioners, senior counsel K.T.S.Tulsi opined that generally it has been seen that people are happy to come to CBI on deputation. Rohatgi said that it was only in the case of senior officers and not ground-level officers. At the lower rung, personnel from state police are reluctant to come over to CBI as it results in their dislocation from the state.

(With inputs from IANS)