New Delhi, Oct (IANS) The supreme Court Thursday said it will hear Nov 18 a plea by a non-profit organisation, wanting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Ranjit Sinha to be kept off the 2G case probe due to his questionable meetings with the accused at his residence.
The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu fixed the hearing date, after the petitioner Centre for Public Interest Litigation said Special Public Prosecutor Anand Grover has already given his opinion on the role of Sinha.
The CBI director had called for the identity of the whistleblower who gave the register of guests at his residence, which purportedly contains the names of those who have been calling on him, to the non-profit organisation’s counsel Prashant Bhushan.
A report on the role of Sinha in the probe, as also in identifying the whistleblower, was submitted by Grover Oct 15. While this report was given in a sealed envelope to the court, the public prosecutor favours secrecy in naming the whistleblower.
In another mention, senior counsel Harish Salve sought a hearing on the plea made by the accused telecom service providers and corporate honchos who sought a stay in the trial of 2G cases by the Special CBI court that is hearing the matter on a daily basis.
Seeking the quashing of charges framed against them by the 2G court, the corporate honchos have contended that their cases were not covered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and thus they could not be tried by the Special Court.
To buttress their plea, the accused cited the CBI and said the charges against them were not covered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, even if their conduct, as alleged, amounted to cheating the government.
The court said these pleas would be taken up for hearing Nov 26.