New Delhi, July 28
The Delhi High Court today admitted a CBI plea for the early hearing of the appeal in the sensational Priyadarshini Mattoo rape and murder case. Putting the case on fast track, a Division Bench of Mr Justices R. S. Sodhi and P. K. Bhasin agreed with the submission by the Additional Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam that the request for early hearing by the investigating agency was in the larger public interest.

However, counsel for the accused opposed the CBI request on the grounds that the appeal should come through the routine channels.

Santosh Singh, son of former senior IPS officer J. P. Singh, had been acquitted in the case by a sessions court in 1999.