George appears in court for delay in cases pending with CCB

Justice S Vaidyanathan on recording the Commissioner’s presence dispensed with his further appearance in the case. The judge then gave time till September 20 for police to complete the investigation and file the chargesheet in CCB cases pending since 2011. 

Making submissions in a packed court hall, the Public Prosecutor Rajarathinam said the report has now been filed in the court with category-wise details of pending cases. Pointing out that while investigation could not be completed in certain cases owing to court stays, he said probe into land grab complaints could not be held since the issue was pending before the Apex Court. However, he assured that the cases neither stayed nor pending before the Supreme Court will be finalised within six months from March 24.

During arguments, Justice Vaidyanathan asked why police failed to arrest the accused even after dismissal of their anticipatory bail applications. While the judge insisted that police must ensure the arrest once the anticipatory bail pleas were rejected, the prosecutor cited an apex court order, which held that arresting a suspect was the prerogative of the investigating officer. 

The summons for the Commissioner’s personal appearance has its source in the Court’s directive on August 2016 asking him to furnish details of cases pending with the CCB and the reasons behind such inordinate delay. The judge had then observed as to whether such delay was owing to police-criminal nexus. The report was to have been filed by December 6, 2016. But with neither the report being filed nor permission sought to extend it; the court sought to know the delay and had originally asked the Commissioner to be present in Court on March 20. 

But trouble started then, with submissions being made on that day that the report had been inadvertently filed before a sessions court. However, the judge on refusing to accept the excuse and on suspecting the involvement of a ‘black sheep’ in the court itself for including the report and altering the cause list, made it clear that the failure of the Commissioner to appear on March 27, would result in a nonbailable warrant against him. 

However, after the commissioner’s side sought early appearance on March 24 itself, the case was listed on Friday.