The Supreme Court today dismissed the petition of U P government challenging the order of the Allahabad High Court directing CBI investigation into corruption charges against former NOIDA Chief Engineer Yadav Singh, saying the state government should instead be happy.
“We sincerely feel that the case requires investigation by the CBI. Let the CBI investigate the matter,” a bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said while rejecting the submission of senior advocate Kapil Sibal that any independent agency other than the CBI be entrusted with the probe.
Sibal, who was appearing for the Uttar PradeshGovernment, told the bench that it was “putting too much trust on the CBI” which was being used to “destablise” and “paralyse” the entire state government in which Yadav Singh was “hand in glove”.
However, his submission did not find favour with the bench, also comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, which said that while appearing for Congress leaderDigvijay Singh in Vyapam matter, Sibal imposed full trust on the CBI probe.
“The moment you came for CBI probe in Vyapam matter, didn’t we entrusted it to the CBI,” the bench told Sibal, who was arguing that “let the matter (Yadav Singh case) go to some other agency like Special Investigating Team.”
While justifying the High Court order, the bench said, “Uttar Pradesh should be happy that the matter is now with the CBI.”
Sibal, however, said that the state government was never for the CBI probe into the matter as it was being looked after by a Judicial Commission.
He also made an attempt to target the Centre for the PIL which led to the CBI probe into the case by questioning the jurisdiction of the apex-court appointed Special Investigating Team (SIT) on black money which recommended thorough probe into the assets of Yadav Singh.
“Is this the jurisdiction of SIT. Can a Joint Secretary write this type of letter. What is this SIT on black money has to do with the matter of Uttar Pradesh,” the senior advocate and Congress leader submitted.
