Shot in arm for Capt as SC junks CBI petition : The Tribune India

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New Delhi/ Chandigarh, Feb 20

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the CBI’s petition against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order refusing to interfere with the Punjab Government’s decision to withdraw all sacrilege-related cases from the probe agency.

“...Special Leave Petitions are dismissed on the ground of delay. However, the question of law is left open. Pending application stands disposed of,” a Bench headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman said, dismissing the CBI’s petition on the ground of delay. The Bench — which also included Justice S Ravindra Bhat — however, left open the question of law involved in the case.

On behalf of the CBI, Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi tried to explain the delay, saying the agency had to deal with the legal issue as it might become a precedent. The SAD-BJP government in Punjab had in October 2015 handed over the sacrilege probe to the CBI. However, the Congress government-led by Capt Amarinder Singh on September 6, 2018, issued a notification withdrawing the consent given to the CBI to investigate the cases. The state government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab Police to investigate the cases relating to the 2015 sacrilege incidents at Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages and police firing incidents at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura in Faridkot.

But the Punjab and Haryana High Court had refused to interfere with the state government’s decision. After the Supreme Court verdict today, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced on the floor of the House that the legal team led by Advocate General Atul Nanda had won the case. A five-member SIT led by Director Bureau of Investigation Prabodh Kumar and with Inspector General Kunwar Vijay Pratap as the key investigator will take over the inquiry into the cases. A formal notification in this regard would be issued later, the spokesperson said.

IG Vijay Pratap panel to probe sacrilege cases

A five-member SIT led by Director Bureau of Investigation Prabodh Kumar and with IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap as key investigator will take over inquiry into cases, said a Punjab Government spokesperson.