None in CBI deserve hearing, thunders SC

■SC angered by Sinha allegations, Alok reply leak

A furious Supreme Court on Tuesday told all parties in a case involving the CBI’s top brass that they do not “deserve” a hearing in the light of the leaks to the media in the highly-sensitive case centered around the probe agency chief and his deputy levelling corruption charges against each other.

The court’s anger stemmed from a news website carrying details of a reply filed by CBI chief Alok Verma and other media reports based on sensational allegations by the probe agency’s senior officer M.K. Sinha against top officials in his petition filed in court.

Making it clear that the court was not a “platform” where people can come and express “whatever they want”, an anguished bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, heard the matter twice during the day and said it would not hear any party, including the Central Vigilance Commission, and confine itself to the purported leak and publication of Mr Sinha’s allegations.

The bench, also comprising justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph, vented its ire at the start of the hearing over the leak of documents related to the case and said that it wanted to keep the CBI director’s response

confidential to maintain the probe agency’s dignity.

The CJI handed over a copy of a media report and said, “You being a senior member, we have given this to you. Please help us.”