Special court pulls up CBI for not investigating properly graft case involving its ex-directors

New Delhi [India], September 28 : A special CBI court has pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for not investigating properly a graft case against its former chiefs related to meat exporters Moin Akhtar Qureshi and others.
Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal on Saturday noted that the role of two of its former directors -- AP Singh and Ranjit Sinha -- is under scanner along with alleged middleman Moin Akhtar Qureshi, which needs upfront, frank and honest investigations.
"The image of the CBI as a premier investigating agency of India is redoubtable. However, at the same time, it has to rise to the occasion to investigate the allegations against its two top ex-honchos to further enhance its eminence, as there comes a time in the lifetime of any institution or organisation, where it finds itself at crossroads, then it has to take a path which is the right path, which leads to sunshine and glory," the court said in its order.
The special court, while hearing the matter in which two of its former CBI directors are facing graft allegations, raised questions "why the CBI did not bring investigations in this case to a logical end by using tried and tested methods of investigations like searches, custodial interrogation of potential suspects?"
The court also asked whether the alleged role of its another former director Alok Verma was investigated and whether he allegedly stalled or did not allow the investigations to reach its logical end during his tenure?
"Why CBI is dragging its feet in a case involving the roles of two of its former directors, which may lead to an inference that it is not very keen to pursue investigations qua them?" the court questioned.
The court also observed that "such open-ended investigations which keep on gathering dust for years together may seriously erode the credibility/ faith of public at large in premier investigating agency of India, which is deleterious to rule of law, more so, when one of the accused in the above RC is AP Singh, Ex-Director of CBI."
Court also mentioned that the Constitution of India is the supreme law of the country, which envisages India to be a country governed by the rule of law. One of the most basic axiom of the rule of law is, that there should be equality before the law that is equal subjection of all citizens to the ordinary law of the land, it noted.
The CBI had registered an FIR in the matter on the basis of a complaint from Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Sana, facing probe in the 2017 case allegedly involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi. It also set up a probe against then CBI special director Rakesh Asthana and others for allegedly accepting a bribe in exchange for giving a clean chit to Sathish Babu Sana.
Later, Asthana had also accused former CBI director Alok Verma of trying to falsely implicate him in the case, following which the Centre sent both the officers on leave last year.