Ex-CBI Director’s role to be probed by SIT: Supreme Court of India

Common Cause & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.

The petitioners had prayed for directing an SIT appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate the abuse of authority committed by the CBI Director, Ranjit Sinha, in order to scuttle enquiries, investigations and prosecutions being carried out by the CBI in coal block allocation cases and other important cases. The Supreme Court in May, 2015 had held that it was completely inappropriate for Ranjit Sinha to have met persons accused in the coal block allocation cases without the investigating officer being present or without the investigating team being present. To enquire whether such meetings had any impact on the investigations and subsequent chargesheets or closure reports filed by the CBI, a Committee was constituted. On the basis of the report, the Court has now held that a prima facie case has definitely been made out for investigation into the abuse of authority by Ranjit Sinha.  Declining the request for an outside body of investigators to be appointed as the Special Investigating Team, the Court directed Special Investigating Team led by the Director, CBI to look into the report with the assistance of Chief Vigilance Commissioner and the Special Public Prosecutor.