Honey-trap: No further change in SIT, Goswami to remain OIC: HC

In an interim order, Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday directed state government not to change officer-in-charge (OIC) IPS officer Awdhesh Goswami in the honey-trap case allegedly involving senior bureaucrats and politicians.

The court also stated that there shall be no further change in the SIT without its permission. A PIL was filed by Shrish Mishra smelling a rat due to frequent changes in SIT constituted to probe the honey-trap case. “The past history of the case reveals that SIT chiefs have been changed and now a third IPS officer has been appointed as SIT chief. As the issue involved in the petition is sensitive, the State of Madhya Pradesh is directed not to change the OIC. As he is posted at Indore, the state government is also directed not to change his posting from Indore without leave of the court,” stated Justice SC Sharma and Justice Shailendra Shukla.

“He will continue at Indore and in case need so arises for shifting him, the state government will obtain leave of the court,” the judges added. In the case, entire evidence is basically electronic and requires investigation and expert report. The court was told that two forensic science laboratories have state-of-art technology in the country, one at New Delhi and another at Hyderabad.

The court directed Goswami to forward the entire electronic evidence and obtain a report in respect of the evidence from regional forensic science laboratory, Hyderabad.

“The court directed Goswami to personally monitor the same,” said Nidhi Bohara, counsel of the petitioner.

The various order-sheets were presented before the court in sealed cover and the SIT chief also filed a status report again in sealed cover. However, it did not contain the material on the basis of which the SIT chiefs were changed so frequently. The complete documents have also not been produced as directed by the court.

Pulling up respondents, the court granted 15 days more days for producing the entire material in sealed cover and also sought a proper reply to the writ petition within the aforesaid period as well as a status report by the SIT chief.

Next date of hearing has been set for November 2.