SC summons CBI director
NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday summoned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director for not complying with its order to file final investigation reports in seven cases related to extrajudicial killings in Manipur.
The deadline for filing the report was Friday.
A bench of Justice MB Lokur and Justice UU Lalit ordered CBI top boss, Alok Kumar Verma, to appear before it on Monday.
“We would like to know from the director what should be done to expedite the investigation and filing of charge sheets,” the bench ordered. SC in its last hearing had ordered the agency to file chargesheet in seven of the 98 cases in Manipur that were found to be cases of extrajudicial killing. On Monday CBI had asked for more time from the court to file the charge sheet, despite completion of the probe. Additional solicitor general Maninder Singh, however, could not specify of any time frame for the same.
Singh said that in two cases approval for filing charge sheet has been received and in two other cases approval would be taken in the next few days.
But the bench refused to accept the submission. It ordered Verma’s personal presence and said the director would have to work with the bench to work out the modalities for expediting the process of filing charge sheet.
“If CBI officials are unable to comply with the directives then they must quit their job as they are not doing any favour to the country,” Justice Lokur remarked. Singh defended the agency saying it cannot rush through the process. He explained the cumbersome procedure laid out in the CBI manual that is required to be followed to file a charge sheet. The law officer said charge sheet has to be vetted at various layers in the CBI, including at the level of the joint director. The judges then asked a senior CBI official present at the court to explain the procedure. The officer informed that there are about 10 stages through which the charge sheet has to pass before it is approved. Singh said CBI officers were working day and night to get the task done, prompting Justice Lokur to retort: “Let them work. They are not doing us any favour. They are not doing favour to country or citizens. They have to comply with our orders. If they cannot work then they (officers) must quit.”